The Government-Led Climate Change Adaptation Landscape in Nunavut, Canada

• Main Authors: Labbé, Jolène, Ford, James D, Araos, Malcolm, Flynn, Melanie
• Format: Review
• Language: unknown
• Published: NRC Research Press (a division of Canadian Science Publishing) 2016
• Subjects: Arctic; Canada; Nunavut; Climate change; Ice; inuit; permafrost; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/75210; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/er-2016-0032

The Canadian Arctic is uniquely sensitive to climate change impacts, including rapidly warming temperatures, sea ice change and permafrost degradation. Adaptation—including efforts to manage climate change risks, reduce damages, and take advantage of new opportunities—has been identified as a priority for policy action across government levels. However, our understanding of adaptation in the Canadian North is limited: Is adaptation taking place, to what stresses, and what does it look like? In this paper we answer these questions for the Inuit territory of Nunavut, systematically cataloguing and reviewing government-led adaptation programs and policies at community, territorial, and federal levels, drawing on publically available information. A total of 700 discrete adaptation initiatives were documented. The focus on adaptation to-date has primarily been at the groundwork level, aimed at informing and preparing for adaptation through impact assessments, adaptation planning exercises, and stakeholder engagement. Adaptation in Nunavut has been driven by cross-scale co-ordination and leadership from the territorial and federal government. Our study finds few examples of concrete actions for planned adaptation, such as changes to or creation of policies that enable adaptation, alterations to building codes and infrastructure design with changing geo-hazards, or enhanced disaster planning and emergency preparedness in light of projected impacts. Adaptation thus remains in its early stages, and this study indicates a need for formal adaptation plans for the Governments of Canada and Nunavut, emphasis on adaptation monitoring and evaluation, and a greater role of Inuit traditional knowledge and cultural values in adaptation policy. Please note that a French abstract (Résumé) is also available; however, it did not fit within the word limit allotted here. It is included in the manuscript. The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author.