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
2011
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.7363 https://doaj.org/article/7491d2225b3145c899721297414a7052 |
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fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:7491d2225b3145c899721297414a7052 2023-05-15T15:12:38+02:00 Community vulnerability to climate change in the context of other exposure-sensitivities in Kugluktuk, Nunavut Laura Tozer Barry Smit Tristan Pearce Ben Bradshaw Johanna Wandel Jason Prno 2011-07-01 https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.7363 https://doaj.org/article/7491d2225b3145c899721297414a7052 en eng Norwegian Polar Institute doi:10.3402/polar.v30i0.7363 0800-0395 1751-8369 https://doaj.org/article/7491d2225b3145c899721297414a7052 undefined Polar Research, Vol 30, Iss 0, Pp 1-21 (2011) Climate change Arctic community vulnerability adaptation Inuit envir geo Journal Article https://vocabularies.coar-repositories.org/resource_types/c_6501/ 2011 fttriple https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.7363 2023-01-22T17:02:45Z 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 article 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 that 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. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Climate change Ice inuit Kugluktuk Nunavut permafrost Polar Research Unknown Arctic Canada Kugluktuk ENVELOPE(-115.096,-115.096,67.827,67.827) Nunavut Polar Research 30 1 7363 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Unknown |
op_collection_id |
fttriple |
language |
English |
topic |
Climate change Arctic community vulnerability adaptation Inuit envir geo |
spellingShingle |
Climate change Arctic community vulnerability adaptation Inuit envir geo Laura Tozer Barry Smit Tristan Pearce Ben Bradshaw Johanna Wandel Jason Prno Community vulnerability to climate change in the context of other exposure-sensitivities in Kugluktuk, Nunavut |
topic_facet |
Climate change Arctic community vulnerability adaptation Inuit envir geo |
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 article 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 that 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. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Laura Tozer Barry Smit Tristan Pearce Ben Bradshaw Johanna Wandel Jason Prno |
author_facet |
Laura Tozer Barry Smit Tristan Pearce Ben Bradshaw Johanna Wandel Jason Prno |
author_sort |
Laura Tozer |
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://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.7363 https://doaj.org/article/7491d2225b3145c899721297414a7052 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-115.096,-115.096,67.827,67.827) |
geographic |
Arctic Canada Kugluktuk Nunavut |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Canada Kugluktuk Nunavut |
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, Iss 0, Pp 1-21 (2011) |
op_relation |
doi:10.3402/polar.v30i0.7363 0800-0395 1751-8369 https://doaj.org/article/7491d2225b3145c899721297414a7052 |
op_rights |
undefined |
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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1766343295264358400 |