Beyond the Berger Inquiry: Can Extractive Resource Development Help the Sustainability of Canada’s Arctic Communities?

• Published in: ARCTIC
• Main Authors: Southcott, Chris, Abele, Frances, Natcher, David, Parlee, Brenda
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Arctic Institute of North America 2018
• Subjects: resource development; extractive industries; Berger Inquiry; Arctic communities; industrial impacts; mise en valeur des ressources; industries extractives; enquête Berger; collectivités de l’Arctique; incidences industrielles; Arctic; Canada; Conseil
• Online Access: https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/67786

The four decades since the Berger Inquiry have produced a large body of research demonstrating the positive and negative impacts of resource development on northern communities. However, little independent research has aimed to yield an understanding of how best to manage the impacts of resource development and to harness its benefits in ways that can promote long-term sustainable development. This question was the impetus for the Resources and Sustainable Development in the Arctic (ReSDA) research project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada in 2011. Representing a network of researchers, community members and organizations, ReSDA researchers conducted a series of analyses that focused on what was needed to ensure that northern communities received more benefits from resource development and potential negative impacts were mitigated. Overall, the analyses highlight the serious gaps that remain in our ability to ensure that resource development projects improve the sustainability of Arctic communities. These gaps include a proper understanding of cumulative impacts, the ability of communities to adequately participate in new regulatory processes, the non-economic aspects of well-being, the effects of impact and benefit agreements and new financial benefits, and new mitigation activities. Pendant les quatre décennies qui ont suivi l’enquête Berger, de nombreuses recherches ont été effectuées pour montrer les incidences positives et négatives de la mise en valeur des ressources sur les collectivités nordiques. Cependant, peu de recherches indépendantes ont tâché de comprendre les meilleures façons de gérer les incidences de la mise en valeur des ressources et d’exploiter leurs retombées de sorte à favoriser le développement durable à long terme. Cette question a servi de fondement au projet de recherche sur les ressources et le développement durable dans l’Arctique (Resources and Sustainable Development in the Arctic, ou ReSDA) financé par le Conseil de recherche en sciences ...