Climate
Change Impacts and Adaptation in Northern Canada
Briefing Prepared for the Senate Standing Committee on Forestry and Agriculture
December
5, 2002
Aynslie
Ogden, M.Sc., R.P.F., R.P.Bio, P.Ag. - Coordinator, Northern Climate
ExChange; Manager, Northern Office of the Canadian Climate Impacts and
Adaptation Research Network
With
assistance from
Dr.
Peter Johnson – Chair, Canadian Polar Commission; Professor, University of
Ottawa; and Science Advisor to the Northern Office of the Canadian Climate
Impacts and Adaptation Research Network
Summary
1.
In Canada’s North, climate change is no longer an abstract idea. There
is strong evidence, both from scientific data and local observations, that
climate change has had and is having an impact.
Substantial warming and increases in precipitation are projected for the
21st century.
2.
The
projected impacts of climate change are of considerable concern to residents of
the North due to the potential consequences to traditional lifestyles, resource
development and conservation.
3.
The impacts of climate change on northern Indigenous peoples deserve
special mention because of their relationship to the land and existing and
emerging regional governance responsibilities.
4.
In general, NCE analysis shows that our level of understanding of
projected climate changes and the impacts of those changes is poor.
5.
The ability to understand climate change and its impacts and, in turn,
develop adaptation responses in Canada’s North is hampered by the current
level of research and monitoring.
6.
Discussion and development of climate change adaptation responses in
Canada’s North are critical, and are now only in their very early stages.
Some important groundwork has been laid, but much more needs to be done
to ensure sustainability of northern communities, ecosystems and ways of life in
northern Canada.
1.
In
Canada’s North, climate change is no longer an abstract idea.
There is strong evidence, both from scientific data and local
observations, that climate change has had and is having an impact.
Substantial warming and increases in precipitation are projected for the
21st century.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that between 1861 and 2000, the global average surface temperature has warmed by 0.6oC. In the Arctic, extensive land areas show a 20th century warming trend in air temperature of up to 5oC, with a slight warming observed over sea ice. Global temperatures could increase by 1.4 to 5.8oC by 2100, and all studies agree that as the world becomes warmer, high latitudes will warm sooner and to a greater extent than low latitudes. The greatest changes in temperature are projected to take place during the winter months -- extreme cold temperatures are expected to be less severe and occur less often. Precipitation changes over the 21st century are expected to be modest; however, extreme precipitation events are likely to become more frequent. Patterns of climate change are complicated, as they vary in rate and magnitude by region and by season. Scientific data and local observations are summarized below.
Yukon Region - The
Yukon has exhibited a clearly identifiable warming trend of 1.5oC
over the past 100 years. Warming
has occurred mainly in winter and spring with a very weak trend in the summer
and gradually decreasing temperatures in autumn.
Precipitation data shows that there has been an overall decrease in
precipitation in the winter, while summer precipitation has been somewhat higher
and more variable. Projections from climate models consistently show increases
in temperatures year-round and increases in snow for the Yukon over the next
century. Winters are projected to warm more than summers, with winter warming
being greater at higher latitudes. Also, because of the moderating effect of the
Beaufort Sea, summers are projected to warm up more in the south and central
Yukon than in the North. Projections
for precipitation are considered to be more uncertain than for temperature
change, and in general, models suggest increased winter precipitation that is
greater with increasing latitude. Most models predict little change in average
summer precipitation levels. Scenarios, however, point to more and bigger winter
and summer storms.
Mackenzie
Region – This region, which
contains most of mainland Northwest Territories, has warmed by 1.5oC
over the past 100 years. Scenarios project maximum warming in higher northern
latitudes in winter, and little warming in summer. Warming of up to 5oC by 2050 is expected, with
variations from season to season. A
general increase in precipitation, of up to 25%, is also projected.
Arctic Tundra and Arctic Mountains and Fjords Regions – These two climate regions encompass the central and eastern Arctic. In the Arctic Tundra region, which includes the mainland of Nunavut, Banks Island and Victoria Island, there has been a warming of approximately 0.5°C. In contrast, the Arctic Mountains and Fjords region in the extreme eastern high Arctic has cooled slightly, mainly in winter and spring. Scenarios for these regions project greater warming over land than over the sea, reduced warming or even cooling over part of the North Atlantic Ocean, greater warming in winter months, and greater warming with increasing latitude. Winters should see a 5 to 7°C warming over the mainland and over much of the Arctic Islands, and up to a 10°C warming over central Hudson Bay and the Arctic Ocean northwest of the Islands. Summers are likely to see up to a 5°C warming on the mainland and the central Arctic Islands, and a 1 to 2°C temperature rise over northern Hudson Bay, Baffin Bay and the northwestern High Arctic Islands. There is some suggestion that a modest cooling may occur over the extreme eastern Arctic in winter and spring. A general increase in precipitation, of up to 25%, is also projected for both regions.
Local Observations – Many northern Canadians are making first-hand observations of climate change. Local and traditional knowledge is adding an important dimension to our understanding of impacts. Whitehorse-based Northern Climate ExChange (NCE) initiated discussions with Yukon communities in 2000 to get a sense of the level of concern and of what local information on climate change exists. The NCE concluded from these discussions that climate change is no longer an abstract idea in the Yukon, and the issue has emerged as a major area of public concern. However, public opinion on what to do about climate change differs, and varies within and among communities. We also noted that there exists a tremendous amount of extremely valuable local information on climate change, but very little of this information has been documented. There are more questions than answers. In addition, there is a paucity of information available to assist communities to understand and prepare for climate change impacts. Even less information is available at a scale that is useful to community-level decision-making processes. Observations and concerns on climate change vary among and within communities, and community observations do not always mirror projections from models.
2. The projected
impacts of climate change are of considerable concern to residents of the North
due to the potential consequences to traditional lifestyles, resource
development and conservation.
From building winter roads on frozen
lakes and rivers to the migration of caribou herds, climate is an important
factor in the management, development and conservation of natural resources, and
in the sustainability of northern communities.
An introduction to some of the potential impacts of climate change on the
northern territories is provided below.
Agriculture
– Soils and climate conditions
in the North are generally unfavourable to agricultural production. However,
some areas in the Yukon have a moderate agricultural capability and agriculture
is a small but important component of the Yukon wage economy. An increase in the
growing season may enable cultivation of a wider variety of crops and increased
yields. Longer growing seasons may increase the potential for greenhouse
production. However, the capability for enhanced agricultural production as a
result of climate change is limited by soil conditions, and future precipitation
patterns. The impacts of climate
change on northern food supplies are much greater if subsistence activities,
such as hunting and gathering, are considered – this is discussed below.
Forestry
- In Yukon and NWT, forestry is
a small but important contributor to the economy, and there is interest in
growth in this sector. In the
Yukon, the number of forest fires and hectares burned has been increasing since
the 1960s. This trend is expected to continue, as temperatures warm and
lightning storms become more frequent. Spruce Bark beetles killed almost all of
the mature white spruce over some 200,000 hectares in the Alsek River corridor
in Kluane National Park and in the Shakwak Valley north of Haines Junction
between 1994-1999. A series of mild winters and springs provided good breeding
conditions for the beetles, allowing them to multiply rapidly.
In the Mackenzie Basin, without changes in fire management the number and
severity of forest fires is projected to increase and the average number of
hectares burned annually is expected to double by 2050. In addition, the number
of hectares in the Basin that are projected to become susceptible to the White
Pine Weevil would more than double to include all of the forested area.
Infrastructure
- In some areas,
permafrost melt will increase the risk of landslides, which, if located near
infrastructure, can result in considerable damage.
Permafrost melt also threatens the structural integrity of older
buildings, water supplies and waste disposal infrastructure. Melting of
permafrost may cause the rupture and buckling of pipelines and storage tanks
used for water and sewage. Roads, airstrips and buildings will also suffer from
ground instability, particularly in areas where the soil contains a lot of ice.
Industry
- Climate change has the potential to significantly affect commercial and
industrial activity, resulting in economic impacts. Changes to precipitation
could require costly upgrades and redesign of tailings dams and water diversion
structures in the mining industry. As well, an increase in the frost-free period
could affect access to many oil and gas exploration sites, now reached via
winter roads built on frozen ground. More erratic winter conditions could affect
the developing film production sector in the Yukon, as one of the major factors
in its success has been the ability to provide snow much earlier and much later
than other locations. On the positive side, longer, warmer summers could
increase tourism and the number of visitors to the northern territories.
Transportation
– In many areas of the North, transportation routes rely on the properties of
frozen ground materials for stability. Warmer
winters are causing problems for ice roads. They are freezing later and melting
earlier in the spring. This has made transporting goods to the communities and
mines that depend on these roads more difficult. As the climate changes and
temperatures rise, these problems are expected to increase. With warmer
temperatures, the Northwest Passage may become an international shipping route.
While this may bring opportunities for enhanced trade, there are also many
potential environmental and social implications.
Indeed, the matter is already raising questions of Canadian sovereignty
over Arctic waters.
Water
Resources – The hydrology of
the North is particularly susceptible to warming because small rises in
temperature will result in increased melting of snow and ice. The runoff regime
is expected to be driven increasingly by rainfall, with less seasonal variation
in runoff. There will be more
ponding of water in some areas, but peatlands may dry out because of increased
evaporation and plant transpiration. In
some areas, thawing of permafrost may affect infiltration.
Climate change may affect hydropower generation in the Yukon. While the
net effect is uncertain, increases in the amount of water runoff may boost
hydropower capacity, while possible heavy storms and sediment loading may reduce
its potential. Spring flood damage could be more severe and frequent along
rivers and streams.
Permafrost - Perennially frozen
ground, or permafrost, can be found in a significant portion of the North.
In the southern Yukon and NWT, permafrost is discontinuous and is only
present beneath about 10% of the land but the proportion of permanently frozen
land increases with increasing latitude with decreasing mean annual
temperatures. In areas where the
permafrost is only a few degrees below 0°C it is considered to be particularly
vulnerable to climate change. Already,
permafrost areas have been reduced, and a general warming of ground temperatures
has been observed in many areas. If the climate warms as projected, seasonal
thaw will increase and permafrost will become thinner or disappear in some
areas.
Sea
Ice – Arctic sea-ice extent
has decreased by 2.9% per decade over the 1978-1996 period. Sea ice has thinned,
and there are now more melt days in the summer. Climate change models are
projecting major changes in northern sea ice, including a possible reduction in
summer ice extent by 60% for a doubling of carbon dioxide and possibly a
complete disappearance of summer ice by 2100. Early ice breakup or complete loss
of ice would have a profound effect on northern lifestyles.
Already, communities along the Arctic Coast are experiencing problems
because of lower winter ice levels. Open water in early winter is causing stormy
waters to accelerate the erosion of Tuktoyaktuk’s coastline.
In some areas, coastal erosion is requiring buildings to be abandoned or
relocated.
Marine
Ecosystems – Climate change is
expected to reduce the extent and thickness of sea ice in many parts of the
Arctic, and cause it to break up earlier. In areas with extensive ice further
north, climate change may be advantageous if it results in more areas of open
water. However, where ice breaks up earlier, animals that are dependent on sea
ice - including seals, walrus and polar bears - will be disadvantaged. Walrus
and some seals (bearded, ringed, harp and hooded seals) may lose the sea ice
platforms they use for breeding, nursing pups, resting and moulting.
Polar bears rely on ice to give them access to the seals that are their
main source of food. In Western Hudson Bay, ice break-up was on average 2
weeks earlier in the 1990s than in the 1970s, and these changing ice conditions
may result in no Polar bears residing in the Hudson Bay area within 50 years.
The entire marine food chain depends on plankton and other microrganisms,
the abundance of which may be affected by changes in the thickness and
distribution of sea ice. This could have far-reaching effects on the marine
ecosystem.
Terrestrial
Ecosystems – As warming
occurs, there will be changes in species compositions with a tendency for
poleward shifts in species assemblages and loss of some polar species. In some areas of the Yukon and NWT, mammals, like
moose, whitetail deer, coyotes, and cougars, are already being observed further
north than usual. This may be
related to effects of climate change further down the food chain.
An increase in the number and types of plants available for herbivores as
a result of warmer temperatures may be attracting herbivores further north, and
carnivores will follow the herbivores. However,
changes in the timing and location of food sources, an increase in parasites and
insect-borne disease, and more insect harassment may lead to declines in some
animal populations, such as caribou and muskox.
For birds, warming may extend nesting seasons, provide more food for
young, and decrease chick mortality. However, delayed spring thaw may decrease
the foraging ability of migrating birds. Permafrost melt may substantially alter
ecosystems and landscapes and, where melting permafrost results in landslides,
water quality and fish and wildlife will be harmed.
Traditional
Lifestyles -
Changes in sea ice, seasonality of
snow, and habitat and diversity of food species will affect hunting and
gathering practices and could threaten long-standing traditions and ways of
life. Increased temperatures cause
birds, mammals and insects to move further north every year.
Elders are already reporting species of birds and wildlife that have
never been seen as far north before. Changes to the range, number and health of
animals, fish and plant species will ultimately affect the lives of Indigenous
people who depend on them. This may lead to changes in hunting and harvesting
practices, and may threaten traditional food supplies. Traditional knowledge is
used to predict ice conditions and guide hunters in their travels and work.
However, as temperatures increase and ice conditions change, predictions become
more difficult and travelling more dangerous.
3.
The
impacts of climate change on northern Indigenous peoples deserve special mention
because of their relationship to the land and existing and emerging regional
governance responsibilities.
The natural history of Canada’s
North is a powerful example of the strong relationships between climate,
environmental conditions, and human activity.
Climate has been a major influence on the settlement and development of
Canada’s northern regions. Long
before Europeans arrived in North America, Indigenous peoples of the North
survived and prospered in this region because they understood the natural
environment and how to adapt to its changing conditions. Climate influenced
every aspect of the lives of the First peoples who inhabited the North,
including where they lived, gathered food, and established their seasonal
hunting and fishing camps.
Today, residents of northern Canada
are seeing increasing evidence of climate change and experiencing the effects
first hand. These direct observations add an important dimension to our
understanding of climate change. Experience-based ecological knowledge, also
referred to as traditional ecological knowledge, offers insights into animal
behaviour, ecological relationships, and environmental health and is broadly
recognized as a legitimate, accurate and useful source of information.
A great deal of local and traditional knowledge about climate change
impacts exists, but relatively little of it has been documented. Local observations can complement scientific information,
offering a more regional, holistic and longer-term perspective.
Local knowledge can also provide a level of regional detail beyond the
capacity of current scientific models and analyses. Interest in building
partnerships among scientists, First Nations, and northern communities has
increased in the past couple of decades, and most of the documented local and
traditional knowledge has been collected in regions where scientific research
has been focused.
Northern Indigenous peoples are highly resilient; however, the cumulative effects of climate change and globalization may result in unexpected challenges to cultural sustainability. In some areas, Indigenous peoples are already altering their hunting patterns to accommodate changes to the ice regime and distribution of harvested species. It is well known that northern Indigenous peoples are likely to be heavily impacted -- culturally, socially, environmentally and economically -- as a result of climate change. As a result, Indigenous organizations in northern Canada are seeking a more meaningful role in research, outreach, action and international negotiations on climate change.
4.
In general, NCE analysis shows that our level of understanding of
projected climate changes and the impacts of those changes is poor.
The NCE completed a Gap Analysis to
assess the current state of knowledge of the impacts of climate change in
northern Canada. In
general, our analysis showed that current information concerning northern
systems, predicted climate changes, and the impacts of those changes on northern
systems is poor. There are over 1800 references in our Climate
Change Infosources Database but many make only a passing reference to
climate change. Impacts at the regional scale are very poorly understood and
studies are not evenly distributed across the North.
Most
climate change research in the North has focused on physical environmental
features such as land, permafrost, and coastlines.
Therefore, we are better able to project changes in physical systems than
in biological or socio-economic ones. As
a further challenge, complex systems, which are influenced by many variables,
are more poorly understood than simple ones. In addition, existing knowledge
tends to be focused more on aspects of economic significance than on
non-economic ones. Terrestrial ecosystems have received more research attention
than have marine or aquatic ecosystems. Suprisingly
enough, social impacts of climate change have received the least amount of
research attention. In fact, most
of the documented information on this topic merely confirms the lack of
knowledge in this area.
5.
The
ability to understand climate change and its impacts and, in turn, develop
adaptation responses in Canada’s North is hampered by the current level of
research and monitoring.
There
are information gaps that need to be filled through a process of communication
and community engagement. As noted before, long-term,
regionally focused studies of climate change and its impacts on northern systems
are scarce, and yet they are critical to understanding vulnerability and to
develop adaptation responses. One
multi-year study, the Mackenzie Basin Impact Study (MBIS), conducted
multidisciplinary, stakeholder-directed research that integrated various sources
of knowledge, and added greatly to the understanding of climate change and its
impacts in northern Canada. This
study is discussed in more detail in section 6 of this document. Similarly
structured studies would be valuable for other regions in the North as this
approach emphasizes building partnerships, includes social, political and
economic perspectives, and ensures that knowledge gaps are addressed in a
systematic manner.
The level of funding directed towards northern research affects the ability of those interested in pursuing large-scale research efforts such as MBIS, which are essential if Northerners are to cope with the unprecedented social, physical and environmental challenges currently facing the region. Funding cutbacks and government downsizing over the past decade have resulted in a decline in research activity and training on northern issues at Canadian universities. The situation became so serious that, in 1998, the Arctic science community was called upon by a group of alarmed researchers to alert the Canadian government to take action to secure the future of Arctic science before Canada’s capacity to perform Arctic research collapses entirely.
In September 2000, a task force was established by two of the primary funders of university-based research in Canada -- the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) -- to look into these concerns. Following extensive consultation and investigation, they concluded that northern research is in a state of crisis. The task force urged Canada to rebuild its university-based northern research capacity. In addition, it developed a number of program and policy recommendations to address these issues. The report called for new partnerships between universities and northern communities and the direct involvement of Northerners in research and training. Some of these recommendations, including the establishment of Northern Chairs, were implemented. However, funding for community-based initiatives has not yet improved.
Lack of long-term data collection
and climate monitoring in the North affect also our collective ability to
understand climate trends. In most areas, monitoring in northern Canada only
began in the 1950s. Cutbacks
to the climate and hydrology monitoring networks took place in the late 1990s.
According to Environment Canada, of the 41 climate monitoring stations
currently operating in the Yukon, 18 are considered vulnerable and scheduled for
closure if third-party funding is not found to keep them open. Similar
reductions are expected in Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
These additional cutbacks are likely to hamper the amount and quality of
research in the North that is directed at understanding the impacts of climate
change. The tragedy is that the
current density does not permit a sufficient understanding of climate trends.
Adaptation planning must be based on a factual understanding of climate
trends, and without this basic information we may be unable to prevent
ineffective or maladaptive measures from being implemented.
Clearly, challenges lie ahead for
developing responses to climate change in northern Canada. The crisis in
northern research in Canada will not be resolved simply or quickly. It requires
a long-term commitment to capacity building and new, flexible, funding
initiatives. Building
capacity for research must take place within the context of a broad policy
development process.
6.
Discussion and development of climate change adaptation responses in
Canada’s North are critical, and are now only in their very early stages.
Some important groundwork has been laid, but much more needs to be done
to ensure sustainability of northern communities, ecosystems and ways of life in
northern Canada.
Adaptation has always been part of the way of life in the North. The rate, however, at which changes are projected to occur will make future adaptation much more challenging. Climate change is altering the relationships of people to their environments. Consequently, it is vital that we understand those relationships so we can determine vulnerability. Northern Canada is extremely vulnerable to climate change. Major ecological, sociological, and economic impacts are expected. Places where water is close to its melting point are highly sensitive to climate change, so biophysical and socioeconomic systems in these areas are particularly vulnerable.
Vulnerability to climate change differs from community to community. Furthermore, as communities grow and change, the nature of their vulnerability and responses can change. There are large regional differences in development, infrastructure, governance, and the adaptive capacity across the North. Northern communities are fairly reliant on assistance from the South for their ongoing sustainability, and this reliance may well increase with the pressures caused by climate change. However, it is vital to recognize that local communities are best positioned to understand and assess their vulnerability to climate change.
The IPCC has concluded that Indigenous peoples of the North are more sensitive to climate change than non-indigenous peoples because their homelands and hunting habitats will be directly affected. The Grand Chief of the Council of Yukon First Nations, Ed Schultz, has stated that CYFN is particularly concerned about the impact of climate change on the northern food chain. Chief Shultz has identified the need to work in international arenas to encourage people everywhere to change their ways as a priority item for his organization.
The rate and magnitude of
present-day climate change is unprecedented. It will affect the future of
northern Canada. At present, there
is an insufficient understanding of the implications, especially within the
context of other forces of change affecting the region, including oil and gas
development, population expansion, diamond mining, and wilderness tourism.
Successful long-term responses to climate change will require action by
many stakeholders. As noted before,
there is a crucial need for the direct participation of northern residents and
institutions in climate change impacts and adaptation dialogue.
Research to fill critical information gaps will be essential to enable
northern decision makers to develop appropriate strategies and responses.
Researcher-stakeholder partnerships
are essential to address the particular information needs of northern
communities, and to incorporate sound information into management and planning
activities.
Successful adaptation to the impacts of climate change will depend on technological advances, institutional arrangements, and availability of financing and information exchange. To develop effective adaptation strategies, it is vital to link scientists, policy makers and practitioners. However, discussions and development of responses on adaptation in Canada’s North are currently in their very early stages. Although some important groundwork has been laid, through initiatives such as the MBIS, the NCE, and C-CIARN North, much more work in this area is required to ensure sustainability of northern communities, ecosystems and ways of life in northern Canada.
Mackenzie Basin Impact Study
The Mackenzie Basin in northwestern
Canada was the subject of a major climate change study between 1990-1996. At
1800 km in length, the Mackenzie River is the longest in Canada and its basin
drains approximately 20% of the country.
MBIS sought to understand the potential impacts of global warming on
regions and inhabitants within the basin. This six-year cooperative study, which
applied a scientist-stakeholder approach, was one of the first attempts at an
integrated regional assessment of climate change.
The assessment framework recognized that stakeholder involvement was essential
in defining the objectives of the study and in identifying priority areas for
research to help to target limited financial and human resources.
Scientists examined “what if” scenarios of climate change
and stakeholders answered “so what” discussions on responses to the issues.
Both groups collaborated on “what should be done” and suggestions
were both reactive and proactive. The MBIS collaboration helped to build
capacity, increase stakeholders’ sense of ownership of the issue, provide
opportunities for mutual learning, and prepare a foundation for creating a
regionally based institution focused on disseminating climate change
information. As a result, this kind
of approach led to a richer form of integration; one that is more relevant to
the end-users of the information, than would have been achieved by models alone.
This one study added greatly to the
understanding of climate change and its impacts in northern Canada.
Northern Climate ExChange
Dialogue and information exchange are critical to developing adaptation responses. The NCE is a new organization at the Northern Research Institute of Yukon College. It was established in 2000 and evolved from a need for enhanced institutional capacity in the North that was recognized by both the Government of Yukon and the Government of Canada. The Government of Yukon understood the significance of the science of climate change and the need to encourage adaptation due to the unique vulnerabilities of the territory. In addition, the Government of Yukon wanted enhanced capacity in tracking the results of research to highlight issues that may require a response by government. The Government of Canada recognized the need for regional capacity building as a requirement for Canada to meet its international Kyoto commitments.
The
primary objective of the new NCE was to initiate a dialogue with stakeholder
organizations and government agencies to determine priority activities for the
centre.
We received advice that the
NCE should be a catalyst for climate change knowledge and awareness and be a
central source of information with respect to climate change initiatives. We
were also recommended to allow for various tiers of access (levels of detail and
manners of presentation) when providing information.
We were requested to facilitate processes whereby experts and decision
makers could gather to develop a dialogue on strategies to reduce our
vulnerability to climate change impacts. We
were asked to track industries, sectors and ecosystems that are being affected
by current climatic variation to identify emerging issues, and to thoroughly
investigate the nature of information required to address climate change impacts
and adaptation issues across the North. We
were also recommended to foster partnerships and to assist with getting climate
change on the agenda of existing consultation processes, and to play a
facilitative role in generating consensus in the community on difficult
adaptation questions. The final
recommendation was to visit
Yukon communities to record community observations on climate change, and
discuss what should be accomplished in the Yukon to tackle climate change in the
short and long term. These recommendations have largely defined the programs and
activities underway at the centre.
In March 2001, the NCE hosted the Circumpolar Climate Change Summit.
This event brought together scientists, policy makers, industry
representatives and community leaders from northern regions to discuss what we
know, what we don’t know, and where we should go from here with respect to
actions on climate change. The
primary conference theme, Uncertain
Future, Deliberate Action – Climate Change in the Circumpolar North,
resulted in the release of the Whitehorse Declaration on Northern Climate Change
(Appendix A). This declaration is
symbolic of northerners’ strong desire to work towards northern-relevant
solutions on the climate change issue. The strength of the Declaration lies in
the process through which it was created, as it represents the collective
voice of a wide range of interested parties and individuals.
C-CIARN
North
Discussions
on the role and structure of C-CIARN North first began at a workshop in
Yellowknife in February 2000. At this workshop, many commonalties
emerged in concerns and ideas for further action regarding climate change
impacts and adaptation. There was
wide agreement that climate change is very real, and is occurring with
observable and significant impacts that are likely to increase resulting in
potential negative consequences. Establishing focal points for coordination and
communication of climate change information and research was a need that was
identified for the North. It was also generally agreed that the geography and
diversity that characterize the North make it necessary to have several offices,
operating in each territory, that are linked together by a network.
Focusing on
the impacts of climate change and adaptation to a changing climate, C-CIARN
North began operations in November 2001 and is now a growing network of
researchers and stakeholders spanning the North, and is part of the national
network. Its goal is to facilitate collaboration, reduce duplication in
research, and help focus the efforts of researchers where they are needed most.
The northern office consists of one coordinator in each territory: at the
Northern Climate ExChange in Yukon, Aurora Research Institute in the Northwest
Territories and at the Nunavut Research Institute in Nunavut.
A territorial working
group and a pan-northern information-sharing group support each coordinating
office in their efforts to initiate dialogues around impacts and adaptation
research. This important
initiative will continue to build capacity by drawing together researchers and
stakeholders, identifying knowledge gaps and research questions, improving
access to information, and providing a stronger voice and visibility to the
issue.
Appendix A
Circumpolar
Climate Change Summit Whitehorse
Declaration on Northern Climate Change
|
Whereas
we recognize that residents of the Circumpolar North are witnessing disturbing
and severe climatic and ecological changes; and,
Whereas
we recognize that this interdisciplinary issue requires an unprecedented level
of collaboration by all nations and all sectors of their societies; and
Whereas
we recognize that Northern residents need to take stronger measures to reduce
their own greenhouse gas emissions, and we also recognize that, regardless of
the success of these measures, the Circumpolar North will remain highly reliant
upon global actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
Therefore,
we the undersigned participants at the Circumpolar Climate Change Summit, held
in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, on March 19th to 21st, 2001, declare that the
following actions need to be taken to address climate change and its impacts in
the Circumpolar North:
1.
We must develop a strong northern message on the effects of climate
change and present this message nationally and internationally;
2.
We must use traditional knowledge and improve our scientific capacity to
understand climate change impacts on northern ecosystems, economies, cultures,
traditions and communities;
3.
We must develop tools that will enable communities to better understand
climate change, reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and adapt to changing
climatic and environmental conditions;
4.
We must ensure that all new and existing policies, standards,
regulations, legislation, and management agreements become consistent with the
goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and our vulnerability to climate
change;
5.
We must establish effective incentives and remove the many barriers to
improved energy efficiency and the widespread
use of renewable energy; and,
6.
We must ensure that all institutions, businesses, governments, families
and individuals take far stronger measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.