Community vulnerability to climate change in the context of other exposure-sensitivities in Kugluktuk, Nunavut
Climate change in the Canadian north is, and will be, managed by communities that are already experiencing social, political, economic and other environmental changes. Hence, there is a need to understand vulnerability to climate change in the context of multiple exposure-sensitivities at the commun...
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Norwegian Polar Institute
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ftjpolarres:oai:journals.openacademia.net:article/3034 2023-05-15T15:00:53+02:00 Community vulnerability to climate change in the context of other exposure-sensitivities in Kugluktuk, Nunavut Prno, Jason Bradshaw, Ben Wandel, Johanna Pearce, Tristan Smit, Barry Tozer, Laura 2011-07-27 application/pdf text/html application/epub+zip text/xml https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3034 https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.7363 eng eng Norwegian Polar Institute https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3034/pdf_198 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3034/html_188 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3034/6842 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3034/xml_188 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3034 doi:10.3402/polar.v30i0.7363 Copyright (c) 2018 Polar Research Polar Research; Vol 30 (2011) 1751-8369 Climate change Arctic community vulnerability adaptation Inuit info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2011 ftjpolarres https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.7363 2021-11-11T19:13:37Z Climate change in the Canadian north is, and will be, managed by communities that are already experiencing social, political, economic and other environmental changes. Hence, there is a need to understand vulnerability to climate change in the context of multiple exposure-sensitivities at the community level. This paper responds to this perceived knowledge need based on a case study of the community of Kugluktuk in Nunavut, Canada. An established approach for vulnerability assessment is used to identify current climatic and non-climatic exposure-sensitivities along with their associated contemporary adaptation strategies. This assessment of current vulnerability is used as a basis to consider Kugluktuk’s possible vulnerability to climatic change in the future. Current climate-related exposure-sensitivities in Kugluktuk relate primarily to subsistence harvesting and community infrastructure. Thinner and less stable ice conditions and unpredictable weather patterns are making travel and harvesting more dangerous, and some community infrastructure is sensitive to permafrost melt and extreme weather events (e.g., flash floods). The ability of individuals and households to adapt to these and other climatic exposure-sensitivities is influenced by non-climatic factors which condition adaptive capacity, including substance abuse, the erosion of traditional knowledge and youth suicide. These and other non-climatic factors often underpin adaptive capacity to deal with and adapt to changing conditions and must be considered in an assessment of vulnerability. This research argues that Northern communities are challenged by multiple exposure-sensitivities, beyond just those posed by climate, and effective adaptation to climate change requires consideration if not resolution of socio-economic and other issues in communities. Keywords: Climate change; Arctic; community vulnerability; adaptation; Inuit (Published: 27 July 2011) Citation: Polar Research 2011, 30, 7363, DOI:10.3402/polar.v30i0.7363 Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Climate change Ice inuit Kugluktuk Nunavut permafrost Polar Research Polar Research (E-Journal) Arctic Nunavut Canada Kugluktuk ENVELOPE(-115.096,-115.096,67.827,67.827) Polar Research 30 1 7363 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Polar Research (E-Journal) |
op_collection_id |
ftjpolarres |
language |
English |
topic |
Climate change Arctic community vulnerability adaptation Inuit |
spellingShingle |
Climate change Arctic community vulnerability adaptation Inuit Prno, Jason Bradshaw, Ben Wandel, Johanna Pearce, Tristan Smit, Barry Tozer, Laura Community vulnerability to climate change in the context of other exposure-sensitivities in Kugluktuk, Nunavut |
topic_facet |
Climate change Arctic community vulnerability adaptation Inuit |
description |
Climate change in the Canadian north is, and will be, managed by communities that are already experiencing social, political, economic and other environmental changes. Hence, there is a need to understand vulnerability to climate change in the context of multiple exposure-sensitivities at the community level. This paper responds to this perceived knowledge need based on a case study of the community of Kugluktuk in Nunavut, Canada. An established approach for vulnerability assessment is used to identify current climatic and non-climatic exposure-sensitivities along with their associated contemporary adaptation strategies. This assessment of current vulnerability is used as a basis to consider Kugluktuk’s possible vulnerability to climatic change in the future. Current climate-related exposure-sensitivities in Kugluktuk relate primarily to subsistence harvesting and community infrastructure. Thinner and less stable ice conditions and unpredictable weather patterns are making travel and harvesting more dangerous, and some community infrastructure is sensitive to permafrost melt and extreme weather events (e.g., flash floods). The ability of individuals and households to adapt to these and other climatic exposure-sensitivities is influenced by non-climatic factors which condition adaptive capacity, including substance abuse, the erosion of traditional knowledge and youth suicide. These and other non-climatic factors often underpin adaptive capacity to deal with and adapt to changing conditions and must be considered in an assessment of vulnerability. This research argues that Northern communities are challenged by multiple exposure-sensitivities, beyond just those posed by climate, and effective adaptation to climate change requires consideration if not resolution of socio-economic and other issues in communities. Keywords: Climate change; Arctic; community vulnerability; adaptation; Inuit (Published: 27 July 2011) Citation: Polar Research 2011, 30, 7363, DOI:10.3402/polar.v30i0.7363 |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Prno, Jason Bradshaw, Ben Wandel, Johanna Pearce, Tristan Smit, Barry Tozer, Laura |
author_facet |
Prno, Jason Bradshaw, Ben Wandel, Johanna Pearce, Tristan Smit, Barry Tozer, Laura |
author_sort |
Prno, Jason |
title |
Community vulnerability to climate change in the context of other exposure-sensitivities in Kugluktuk, Nunavut |
title_short |
Community vulnerability to climate change in the context of other exposure-sensitivities in Kugluktuk, Nunavut |
title_full |
Community vulnerability to climate change in the context of other exposure-sensitivities in Kugluktuk, Nunavut |
title_fullStr |
Community vulnerability to climate change in the context of other exposure-sensitivities in Kugluktuk, Nunavut |
title_full_unstemmed |
Community vulnerability to climate change in the context of other exposure-sensitivities in Kugluktuk, Nunavut |
title_sort |
community vulnerability to climate change in the context of other exposure-sensitivities in kugluktuk, nunavut |
publisher |
Norwegian Polar Institute |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3034 https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.7363 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-115.096,-115.096,67.827,67.827) |
geographic |
Arctic Nunavut Canada Kugluktuk |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Nunavut Canada Kugluktuk |
genre |
Arctic Climate change Ice inuit Kugluktuk Nunavut permafrost Polar Research |
genre_facet |
Arctic Climate change Ice inuit Kugluktuk Nunavut permafrost Polar Research |
op_source |
Polar Research; Vol 30 (2011) 1751-8369 |
op_relation |
https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3034/pdf_198 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3034/html_188 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3034/6842 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3034/xml_188 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3034 doi:10.3402/polar.v30i0.7363 |
op_rights |
Copyright (c) 2018 Polar Research |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.7363 |
container_title |
Polar Research |
container_volume |
30 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
7363 |
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1766332939023417344 |