The Applicability of the Impoverished Reconstruction Model in Canada

• Main Author: Yanjun Liang
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph 2020
• Subjects: Climate change
• Online Access: https://journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/index.php/ruralReview/article/view/6091

With the increasing influence of climate change, many remote communities in Northern Canada are experiencing drastic climate challenges such as melting ground, rising seas, and bank erosion. Resettlement can be one option to help the Northern communities deal with these challenges. The Impoverished Reconstruction Model (IRR) may be feasible and beneficial to be piloted and applied in situations of climate challenges. The IRR model was introduced 20 years ago and continues to be the most influential model for resettlement. However, context-appropriate changes should be made to the IRR Model because it was initially planned for development-induced resettlement instead of climate-induced resettlement. My presentation identifies the deficiencies of the IRR Model in the Canadian context by first, providing an overview of the climate challenge in Northern Canada; second, introducing the IRR Model and its comparison to the High Arctic relocation scheme among Indigenous Communities; and third, identifying the missing elements in the IRR Model in the Canadian context to provide recommendations for IRR Model applicability in Canada.