synthesis and recommendations - arcticnetacceptable level set by health canada. state-of-the-art...

AN INTEGRATED REGIONAL IMPACT STUDYOF CLIMATE CHANGE AND MODERNIZATION

FROM SCIENCE TO POLICYIN NUNAVIK AND NUNATSIAVUT:

SYNTHESIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

1

INTRODUCTION .................................................. 3

CLIMATE CHANGE AND MODERNIZATION .......... 4

KEY FINDINGS

NunavikandNunatsiavutareexperiencingrapidwarming............................5

InuitinNunavikandNunatsiavuthavealifeexpectancy10yearsshorterthanmostCanadians..........................6

AhighnumberofInuitfamilieswithchildrenarefoodinsecure.......................7

Thepopulationsofthelargecaribouherdsaredeclining.............................8

Arcticcharrisanimportantfoodresourceatrisk........................................9

CONCLUSION ..................................................... 15

SYNTHESIS OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................ 16

Berryproductionispredictedtodeclineunderincreasedshrubcover............10

Maintaininggoodqualitydrinkingwaterincommunitiesisachallenge.............11

Thethawingofpermafrostmodifiesthenaturalenvironmentandrequiresadequateinfrastructure.................................12

Seaicecoverisdiminishinginitsextentanddurationandfjordecosystemsarechanging..............................13

NunatsiavutandNunavikhavebegunimplementinglanduseplans........................14

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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REPORTINGPROCESSPriorityadaptationissueswereidentifiedanddiscussedduringaworkshopheldinKuujjuaqinNovember2009.Duringthisworkshop,theIRISassessmentstructurewasdefinedandtheIRISSteeringCommitteedesignated.TheIRISchapterswrittenbyArcticNetscientistsandtheirco-authorswerereviewedbytheSteeringCommitteewhothenmetinNaininSeptember2011towritethecoreoftheSciencetoPolicySynthesis.Thekeyfindingsofthescientificchapterswereassessed,andaseriesofrecommendationswerethenformulatedanddiscussedwithgovernmentofficialsfromNunavikandNunatsiavut.

ThisIRISassessmentisprincipallybasedonresearchconductedthroughaseriesofscientificprojectssupportedbyArcticNet.Sincethefundedprojectsdonotcoverallofthepotentialissuesofconcernfortheregions,somemajorresearchgapsstillexistandarehighlightedbothinthesynthesisandintheIRISchapters.

(Photo caption : Kuujjuaq Town Hall): Scientists from various disciplines, regional government representatives, community members and stakeholders met in Kuujjuaq (November 2009) for the first Nunavik-Nunatsiavut IRIS workshop.

SCIENCE TO POLICY SYNTHESIS OF THE NUNAVIK-NUNATSIAVUT IRIS ASSESSMENT

AUTHORS

This Chapter was written by the Steering Committee of the Nunavik-Nunatsiavut Integrated Regional Impact Study (IRIS), whose members are Michael Barrett (Kativik Regional Government), Tom Sheldon (Nunatsiavut Government), Ross Brown (climatologist from Ouranos/Environment Canada), Michel Allard (ArcticNet IRIS Leader for the Nunavik-Nunatsiavut region) and Mickaël Lemay (ArcticNet IRIS coordinator). Acknowledgment also goes to Selena Whiteley from Kativik Regional Government for her contribution to this chapter.

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INTRODUCTIONGlobally,InuitcommunitiesinNunavikandNunatsiavutareamongstthegroupsmostaffectedbytheimpactsofclimatechange.Scientistsandnorthernresidentsarewitnessingincreasingevidenceofthedirectimpactsoftheacceleratedwarminginthisregion,whichisexpectedtocontinuewellintothefuture.Thiswarming,combinedwithchangesinthenaturalandthesocio-economicenvironment,iscreatingcascadingeffectsontheecosystemandsocietywithsignificantimpactsonhumanhealthandqualityoflife.

TheIntegratedRegionalImpactStudy(IRIS)frameworkwascreatedtodisseminatetheresultsofArcticNet’sscientificresearchtothepublic.However,thegoalisalsotoinformpolicymakersandtomakepolicy-relatedrecommendations. One of the main aims of theCanadianEasternSubarcticIRISregionstudy(Figure1)

istotransferknowledgeandassessmentsofpredictedchangestocommunities,stakeholdersandpolicy-makerstoassistinthedevelopmentofadaptationstrategies.Theunderlyingprincipleindevelopingpolicy-relatedrecommendationsistomaintainanenvironmentcapableof sustaining the health of Inuit and preserving thelong-termproductivityofecosystemsuponwhichtheydepend.ThisSciencetoPolicySynthesissummarizesthekeyfindingsandconclusionsoftheNunavikandNunatsiavutIRISforthefourpriorityissuesthatwereidentifiedintheregion:1-humanhealth,2-safetyandsecurity,3-vulnerabilityofinfrastructureand,4-resourceexploitation.

Figure 1. The Nunavik and Nunatsiavut IRIS region and the Inuit Communities.

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ClimatewarminghasbeenhighlightedmanytimesinrecentscientificliteratureandreportedinthemediaasthemaindriverofchangeintheArcticregions.However,theArcticisalsoundergoing“modernization”,ageneraltermthatisnotdefinedclearlyandcoverssocio-economicprocesses.

Abroadrangeofchanges(otherthanclimate)affectingpeople in Nunavik and Nunatsiavut can be linked toseveral factors that were either non-existent or oflow significance only three to four decades ago.Firstly, the negotiation of self governance overterritories and empowerment over educationaland administrative matters has raised Inuitempowerment and level of political leadership.Secondly, significant improvements in infrastructureandtransportation intheNorth(e.g. internetandairtransportation)makeitmucheasiertoconnectwithotherculturesandstayinformedofcurrentissues.Anotheraspectofchangeisrapidpopulationgrowthduetoveryhighbirthratesoverrecentyears.Thankstoimprovedschooling(despitetheneedformoreimprovements)thenewgenerationismorelikelytotakeonwagegainingemployment, takechargeofcommunityandregionalaffairs,protecttheenvironmentandtheirculturalheritage,andparticipateinbusiness.Thesecultural,educational,political and socio-economic changes are occurringagainstabackdropofincreasingpressureforexploitationofmineralandothernaturalresourcesthathasthepotentialtobringincreasedwealthtotheNorthbutalsocarriesthepotentialtothreatentheresourcesessentialtomaintainingtheInuitwayoflife.

Thismodernizationoccurssimultaneouslywithclimatewarmingwhichgreatlymodifiesecosystems,whichtheInuitrelyonasafoodsource.Permafrost,lake,riverandseaice,vegetation,andanimalpopulationsareallaffected.

Changedeatinghabits,moredifficultaccesstotraditionalfoodsourcesandtheimpactofnewsouthernlifestylesareallcontributingtomajorhealthproblemsacrosstheArctic.OfparticularconcerntoNunavikandNunatsiavutaredecliningkeyanimalpopulationssuchascaribouandArcticcharrandmaintainingaccesstohighqualitydrinkingwater.

Animportantissueresultingfrompopulationgrowthandclimatewarmingistheavailability incommunitiesoflandsuitablefornewhousing.InSalluitforexample,newhousingcannotbeconstructedintheexistingcommunitybecauseofice-richfrozensoilsthatsettleinresponsetowarming.Thisproblemhasrequiredthedevelopmentofacommunityexpansionplanatanearbylocationwheresoilsarelesssensitivetowarming.

AnotherissueofconcernthatrequiresfurtherstudyisthecoastalenvironmentofNunavikandNunatsiavut.Inuitareacoastalpeoplewhotravelonwaterinsummerandoniceandsnowinwinter.Fishandmarineresourcesarepartoftheirlongsurvivalhistoryandarestillanimportantsourceofhealthyfoodtoday.Islands,bays,estuariesandfjordsconstitutetheculturallandscape.ThescientificresearchcarriedoutintheNunatsiavutfjordspresentedin this volume is a good example of a strategy thatneedstobepursued.InuitgroupsconsultedduringtheNunavik-NunatsiavutIRISprocessrepeatedlyemphasizedthateffectivelandconservationplanningwasessentialtoprotectingtheirterritoriesandecosystemsinlightofincreasinglocalpopulationandindustrialdevelopment.

Thefollowingkeyfindingsraisemajorissuesforhumanhealth,safetyandsecurity,vulnerabilityofinfrastructuresandfortheimpactsofresourceexploitation.Theyarefollowedbyrecommendationstoaddresstheseissuesandimprovequalityoflife,protecttheenvironmentandfacilitatesustainabledevelopment.

CLIMATECHANGEANDMODERNIZATION

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Thevulnerabilityoftheregiontoclimatechangehasbeenhighlightedinrecentyearsduetoanabruptandunprecedentedwarmingthatbeganaround1993.Thiswarminghascontributedtowide-reachingandrapidenvironmentalchanges.Forexample,snowandicecoverdurationarecurrentlydecreasingatarateofabout1.0day/year,groundtemperatureshavewarmedbyover2°Cwithsignificantincreasesinactivelayerdepthoverpermafrost.GlaciersintheTorngatMountainslostapproximately20%oftheirtotalareabetween2005and2007.Inuitknowledgeindicatesthattheserecentchangesareoutsidetherangeofpreviouscommunityexperience.Togetherwithmoreunpredictableweather,thesechangesarehavingwide-rangingimpactsonhumanhealth,safety,municipalinfrastructureandaccesstoterritoryandresources.Climatemodelprojectionsforthe2041-2070periodindicateacontinuationoftheobservedwarmingtrendaswellasincreasedprecipitationovertheregion(Figure2).

NUNAVIK AND NUNATSIAVUT ARE EXPERIENCING RAPID WARMING

RECOMMENDATION

• Improvementsareneededin weather forecasting and environmental prediction at regional and local scales.

Figure 2. Top: Seasonal character of projected change in monthly mean temperature (left panel and total precipitation (right panel) from six CRCM runs for 2050 period, averaged over all model grid cells in the study region. The outer lines represent the range in the six simulations. Bottom: Corresponding spatial pattern of projected change in (left) mean annual temperature (°C) and (right) mean annual total precipitation (%).

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NunavikandNunatsiavuthave theshortest lifeexpectancy of the fourInuit regions and one that is substantially lower than the rest ofCanada.Youngmalesandolderfemalesareparticularlyvulnerabletoprematuredeath.Mortalityprofilesdifferbysexwith intentionalandnon-intentionalinjuriesweighingmostheavilyformenandchronicdiseasesforwomen.Environmentalchangestogetherwithchangesinthesocio-economicenvironmentarecontributingtothisproblemthroughnegativeimpactsonhumanhealthandwell-being.Recenthealthindicatordataincludingfoodandnutrition,CVD(Cardio-VascularDisease)riskfactors,contaminants,infectiousdiseasesfromanimalsordrinkingwater,andinjuriesthroughtravel,indicatethatthepeopleofNunavikandNunatsiavutareamongtheleasthealthyinthecountrywiththesituationapparentlydeclining.

Whilesignificant declines inmeanblood concentrations ofmercury,lead and cadmium have been observed in Nunavik between 1992and2004,asignificantproportionof individuals,particularlywomenof childbearing age, continue to have concentrations exceeding theacceptable level set by Health Canada. State-of-the-art research isidentifyingdeleteriouseffectsonthedevelopmentofyoungInuitwithinitialfindingsindicatinglong-lastingadverseeffectsofearlycontaminantexposureoncognitivefunctions.However,positiveeffectsoffattyacidsonsensoryandmemoryfunctionhavebeenidentified.

Obesityandcardiovasculardiseaselevelsarehighandrising.However,forthesamelevelofriskfactors,InuitareinbetterhealththanCaucasianpopulations.Theconsumptionofmarinefattyacids,thebeneficialeffectsofwhichappeartobemultiplying,isoneofperhapsseveralprotectivefactorsthatseemtobeatplay.However,thesefactorsmaybeatriskduetodietarytransition,environmentalchangesandtheavailabilityofqualitycountryfood.

INUIT IN NUNAVIK AND NUNATSIAVUT HAVE A LIFE EXPECTANCY 10 YEARS SHORTER THAN MOST CANADIANS

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Policiesmustbedevelopedand adopted to address the current significant health inequality and lower life expectancy.

• Promotionofahealthylifestylemust be encouraged; the negative impacts of drugs and alcohol cannot be ignored.

• Promotionofhealthandnutrition education in communities is also crucial.

• Research-driveninterven-tions, such as those that were successful in the Inuit regions, must be pursued. For example: the study leading to the ban on trans-fats in Nunavik, the research that disclosed the substantial decline in persistent organic pollutants both in the environment and in people, and the research that revealed that marine fatty-acids provide protection against CVDs (Cardio-Vascular Diseases).

• Anactivelifestylemustbepromoted to enhance quality of life.

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Thetransitionawayfromtheconsumptionofhighamountsofcountryfoodstowardsamorewesterndietaswellastheriseinchronicdiseasesinthetworegionsisalsoassociatedwiththestatusoffoodsecurity.Foodsecurityexistswhen“allpeopleatalltimeshaveaccesstosufficient,safeandnutritiousfoodstomeettheirdietaryneedsandfoodpreferencesforanactiveandhealthylife”(FAO,1999).Foodsecurityisinfluencedbyfoodavailability,accessibilityandfoodquality.Dependingonthewayfoodsecurityisclassified,theraterangesbetween25%and72%inNunavikwhileinNunatsiavut,46%ofhouseholdswithchildrenarereportedtobefoodinsecure,withabout16%reportingseverefoodinsecurity.Highfoodcosts,availabilityofcountryfoods,employment,lowhouseholdincome,thedecreaseinconsumptionofcountryfoods,lifestylechoicesandthelackofnutritiousfoodoptionsarefactorsaffectingthesehighlevelsoffoodinsecurity.Peoplewhoarefoodinsecureareatanincreasedriskofbeingoverweightandhavingchronichealthconditions,mentalhealthchallengesandalowerlearningcapacity.

Policyandprogrammechanismsforalleviatingfoodinsecurityinthetworegionsrequiregreaterattentionasthispublichealthproblemgrows.Enhancinghuntersupportorcommunityfreezerprograms,formalizingthesupportforcountryfoodsharingnetworks,findingwaystoincreasetheavailabilityofcountryfoodscirculatingincommunitiesviacommercialsaleanddistribution,andreorientingmarketfoodsubsidiesallshowpromiseinaddressingthis issue.Promotinghealthandnutritioneducation incommunitiesisalsocrucialforaddressingthisissue.

A HIGH NUMBER OF INUIT FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN ARE FOOD INSECURE

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Accesstoasustainablesupply of healthy country food is of paramount concern. Enhancing hunter support and community freezer programs, formalizing the support for country food sharing networks, and finding ways to increase the availability of country foods circulating in communities via commercial sale and distribution are recommended.

• Healthystore-boughtfoodsneed to be available and affordable.

• Initiativessuchasicemonitoring, trail marking and access to survival equipment (such as spot tracking devices) must be encouraged.

• Searchandrescuecapacityatlocal and regional levels must continue to be improved and supported.

• Traditionalandlandskillsknowledge transfer between generations must be encouraged.

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TheGeorgeRiver(GR)andLeafRiver(LR)herdsaretwoofthelargestmigratorycariboupopulationsintheworld.Theavailabledataindicatethatthetotalnumberofcariboufrombothherdsgrewtoinexcessof1millionanimalsduringthe1990sbutdecreaseddramaticallytoprobablylessthanhalfthisnumberby2010.

Thecurrentdeclineinnumbersishavingnegativesocialandeconomicimplications,particularlyforInuitthatrelyextensivelyoncariboumeatforsubsistence.Changesinthedistributionofcaribou,forexampleashifttoLabradorfortheGRherd(Sharmaetal.2009),aswellasdecreasesinabundance,areexpectedinthenearfutureandareunlikelytobeoffsetbypotentialpositiveeffectsofanearlierandlongerperiodofvegetationgrowthinawarmerclimate.

Climatechangewillalsobringadditionalstresstocaribouforinstancethroughprolongedexposuretoinsects.Communities,stakeholdersandresponsibleentitiesshouldbepreparedforalowerabundanceofanimalsandperhapsalesspredictabledistributionaffectingaccessibilitytotheresource.Managementeffortsfocusingonpreservinghighqualityhabitat,limitinganthropogeniclandscapedisturbances,andmanaginghuntinginasustainablemanner,couldalleviatestressorsonmigratorycaribouoftheQuébec-Labradorpeninsula.

THE POPULATIONS OF THE LARGE CARIBOU HERDS ARE DECLINING

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Caribouhabitat,calvingareas and migration routes must be conserved.

• Sporthunting,ifitaffectsthe health of the caribou herds or Inuit subsistence harvesting, should be curtailed or banned.

• Anacross-boundarypartnership and coordination entity should be established for caribou management.

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Arcticcharrareconsideredvulnerabletothepredictedimpactsofclimatechangebecauseoftheirpreferenceforcold-waterconditions.Inawarmingenvironment,lacustrineArcticcharrarethemostlikelytobeimpactedbypredictedsummertemperatureincreases,witheffectsbeingmostacuteatthesouthernedgeofthedistributionrangewherethewarmingwillbegreatestandcompetitionfromothersalmonidfishspeciesbetterabletocopewithwarmertemperatureswillbemostintense.

Arcticcharr(migratingcharr)mayreducetheirperiodofsea-residencyastemperaturesincrease.SuchchangeswillhaveprofoundimpactsonInuitwhorelyonArcticcharrasasignificantsourceofhealthydietaryproteinandfatty-acids.Tosomeextent,suchimpactsmaybemitigatedbypro-activeenvironmentalmanagementasInuit-ledstreamenhancementandpopulationintroductionshaveshown.

KeyknowledgegapsconcerningbiologyandpopulationdynamicsinhibitourabilitiestoaccuratelypredictclimatechangeimpactsonArcticcharrandsuggestthereisconsiderablevalueincollectinglong-termdatasetsspecifictothespecies(e.g.throughcommunitybasedmonitoringprograms).

RECOMMENDATIONS

• ThesustainabilityoftheArctic charr harvest must continue to be assessed.

• Habitatenhancementandrestocking for Arctic charr should be considered.

• Community-basedmonitoring of Arctic charr populations should be implemented.

ARCTIC CHARR IS AN IMPORTANT FOOD RESOURCE AT RISK

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RecentwarmingispromotingshrubgrowthaswellastreelineexpansionoverNunavikandNunatsiavut,butnotinauniformway.Researchhasdocumentedanincreasingtrendindwarfbirchandwillowbushcover,aswellasanaltitudinalexpansionoflarch.Withwarmerandlongersummersfavouringincreasedviableseedproductionandseedlingrecruitment,treesareexpectedtograduallyexpandbeyondcurrentboundaries.

Changesinthedistributionofshrubsareexpectedtoaltersnowdistributionanditspersistenceontheland,affectingpermafrost,feedbackstotheatmosphereandwildlifeandhumantransportationroutes.Warmerandlongergrowingseasonsmaynotbenefitthegrowthandproductivityofallberry-producingplants.Berryspeciesthathavetheirhighestproductivityinfullsun(especiallypartridgeberry/redberryandbogbilberry/blueberry)willmostlikelydeclineunderanincreasedshrubcover,yetthepatchynatureofarcticvegetationshouldenableotherspeciesmoretoleranttopartialshadesuchasblackcrowberry/blackberry/paurngaqutikandcloudberry/bakeapple/aqpiktotakeadvantageofthechangingconditions.

Community-basedmonitoringisanimportanttooltoenablethecollectionoflong-termdatacrucialtounderstandingcurrentuncertaintiesaboutberryproductivityandotherecosystemchanges.Suchlong-term,sustainedmonitoringwillenableNorthernerstotrackenvironmentalchangesintheircommunitiesandtotailorappropriateadaptationstrategiesfortheirregionsuchasthedevelopmentofprotectedareastoensureeasyaccesstohighqualitysitesforthisculturallyimportantactivity.

RECOMMENDATION

• Importantberryharvestingareas close to communities should be protected.

BERRY PRODUCTION IS PREDICTED TO DECLINE UNDER INCREASED SHRUB COVER

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NunavikandNunatsiavuthavearichnaturalheritageoflakes,riversandwetlandsthatrequireongoingstewardshipandprotection.Permafrostthawlakes(thermokarstponds)areamajorclassificationofnorthernfreshwaterecosystems,andtheyappeartobeincreasinginabundanceandtotalsurfaceareainpartsofthecircumpolarNorth,includingNunavik,asthepermafrostcontinuestowarmanddegrade.Theavoidanceandmitigationofchemicalpollutionofnorthernaquaticecosystemsfrombothlong-rangeandlocalsourcesrequiresongoingvigilance.

Secondarywatersourcesnearcommunitiesarecommonlyusedandareculturallyimportantsourcesofdrinkingwater.AvarietyofdrinkingwaterproblemsrelatedtobothsupplyandqualityhavebeenidentifiedthroughoutNunavikandNunatsiavut.Themonitoringofwaterqualityofbothtreatedanduntreatedsecondarysourcesofwateriscurrentlydeficient.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Monitoringofwaterquality for both primary and secondary sources of drinking water in communities should be improved.

• Importantsourcesofdrinking water close to communities should be protected.

MAINTAINING GOOD QUALITY DRINKING WATER IN COMMUNITIES IS A CHALLENGE

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Permafrostdegradationisseriouslyaffectingthenaturalenvironment.Thawingofthepermafrostinthediscontinuouszonecreatesnewpondsandprovokeslandslidesandchangestodrainagepatterns.Theinfrastructureofvillagesinbothregionsisparticularlyaffectedduetoinappropriatepracticesordesignflawscombinedwithclimatechange.Awell-documentedcaseisthecommunityofSalluit,whichisbuiltonice-richclayswheretheactivelayerincreasedby30-40cminthepasttwentyyears.

Theeffectsofthesechangescanbeseenintheroadsaswellasinmovementofsomeofthebuildings.InmanyNunavikcommunities,permafrostthawinghasbeguntooccuralongthesidesofsomerunwaysections.InmostNunatsiavutcommunities,communityinfrastructuredevelopment,includingwatersupplyandsewagesystemplacementaswellasland-useplanshavefailedtoaccommodateSubarcticenvironmentalconditionsincludingpermafrost,freezingofactivelayerandseasonalhydrologicalconditions.

Greatcaremustbetakeninthedevelopmentofadequateinfrastructureandhousing.Adaptationstrategiesarebeingdevelopedtosupportimprovedland-useplanning,respondtoconstructionissues,andlessentheimpactsofpermafrostthawthroughbettermaintenancepractices.

RECOMMENDATION

• Improvedurbanplanningand appropriate engineering practices should be applied to take into account local environmental conditions including permafrost and climate change effects for construction projects.

THE THAWING OF PERMAFROST MODIFIES THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND REQUIRES ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE

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AnongoingbiologicalandphysicalstudyofthefjordsofNunatsiavutisprovidingnewinsightsintothesecriticalareasinthefaceofchangingclimateandmodernization.TherehasbeenasignificantreductioninseaicecoveracrossthefjordsinnorthernLabradoroverthepast50yearswithextreme,recentrecordlowsincoverage,accompaniedbyreducedsalinityinthefjordsoverthissametimeperiod.Generally,InuitinNunavikandNunatsiavuthavealsoreportedadecreaseinseaicecoveranddurationoverrecentyears.

Onashortertimescale,overthepast10years,therehasalsobeenanincreaseinmarineproductivityalonganorthtosouthgradientinLabrador.Althoughthebiologicalsignificanceofthesechangeswillvary,itisexpectedthatifthesechangescontinue,ageneralincreaseinspeciesabundanceaswellasnewspeciesinthesefjordswilloccur,whichcouldalterfoodwebsystemsincludingtheharvestingpracticesofInuit.Moreimportantly,ithasbeenfoundthathigh-energymarineecosystemsalongthecoastofLabradorcandemonstratesubstantialresilienceandrecoveryfromanthropogenicdisturbancesifmanagedinasustainableandprogressivemanner.

However,thelegaciesoflocalsourcesofcontaminationcontinuetohaveanimpactoncoastalmarinesystems,asindicatedbyelevatedlevelsofcontaminants(PCBs)insomeringedseals(approximately10-15%)capturedfromthecoastofLabrador.Ringedsealsstillremainahealthysourceofnutrition,andcontaminantlevelsinInuitfromNunatsiavutaregenerallylowerthantherestoftheArcticduetooveralldietchoices.

RECOMMENDATION

• AbetterunderstandingofNunavik and Nunatsiavut river and coastal systems is crucial.

SEA ICE COVER IS DIMINISHING IN ITS EXTENT AND DURATION AND FJORD ECOSYSTEMS ARE CHANGING

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TheMasterPlanforLandUseintheKativikregionwasapprovedin1998andincludeslandidentificationandclassificationof:areasthatareessentialforharvesting,areasofinteresttoInuit,cariboucalvinggroundsandreservesforparks.TheNunatsiavutGovernmenthasrecentlyapprovedalanduseplanfortheLabradorInuitSettlementArea(LISA)whichincludesthefollowinglanddesignations(totalpercentageofLISAindesignation):NationalPark(14.4%),GeneralUse(52.3%),TraditionalUsewithoutGeorgeRiverCaribouCalvingArea(13.4%),SpecialPolicy-GeorgeRiverCaribouCalvingArea(19.5%)andOther (0.5%). InNunatsiavut, thecreationof theTorngatMountainsNationalParkin2005byParksCanadaalsoresultedintheprotectionof9700km2oftheregion’s72500km2oflandfromindustrialdevelopment. In partnership with the Kativik Regional GovernmentandMakivikCorporation,theGovernmentofQuebeccreatedtheParcnationaldesPingualuit(1149km2)in2004andtheParcnationalKuururjuaq(4461km2)in2009.

TheproposedParcnationalTursujuq(26000km2)andtheParcnationalUlittaniujalik(5272km2)shouldbecreatedby2013.Noindustrialactivityispermittedintheparksofeitherregion.TherearefourotherareasinNunavik,totalling9949km2designatedasparkreserves.InNunavik,communityconsultationsareunderwayfor11additionalproposedprotectedareas.Theobjectiveistoprotectatleast20%ofNunavikfromIndustrialdevelopmentby2020.TheGovernmentofQuebechasannounceditsobjectivetoshelter50%ofthePlanNordregion,whichincludesNunavik,fromindustrialdevelopmentby2035.Inuitharvestingareasoverlapwithsomeoftheconservationareasandinothercasesarewithincloseproximitytothecommunities.Allofthesedesignatedareas,inadditiontotheirimportanceforconservation,willhelpcopewiththeimpactsofclimatechange,whilecoexistingwithareasofindustrialdevelopmentinbothregions.

RECOMMENDATION

• Parks,protectedareasand land sheltered from development should continue to be identified for the conservation of valued ecosystems.

NUNATSIAVUT AND NUNAVIK HAVE BEGUN IMPLEMENTING LAND USE PLANS

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CONCLUSIONThekeyfindingsofthisstudyindicatemajorissuesinregardtohumanhealth,safetyandsecurity,vulnerabilityofinfrastructureandtheneedtoprotectecosystemsfromtheimpactsofresourceexploitation.Numerousactionstoimprovequalityoflife,safeguardtheenvironmentand facilitate sustainable development need to beimplemented.Manyoftheseactionsarepresentedhereasrecommendations.

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INUIT IN NUNAVIK AND NUNATSIAVUT HAVE A LIFE EXPECTANCY 10 YEARS SHORTER THAN MOST CANADIANS

• Policiesmustbedevelopedandadoptedtoaddressthecurrentsignificanthealthinequalityandlowerlifeexpectancy.

• Promotionofahealthylifestylemustbeencouraged;thenegativeimpactsofdrugsandalcoholcannotbeignored.

• Promotionofhealthandnutritioneducationincommunitiesisalsocrucial.

• Research-driveninterventions,suchasthosethatweresuccessfulintheInuitregions,mustbepursued.Forexample:thestudyleadingtothebanontrans-fatsinNunavik,theresearchthatdisclosedthesubstantialdeclineinpersistentorganicpollutantsbothintheenvironmentandinpeople,andtheresearchthatrevealedthatmarinefatty-acidsprovideprotectionagainstCVDs(Cardio-VascularDiseases).

• Anactivelifestylemustbepromotedtoenhancequalityoflife.

NUNAVIK AND NUNATSIAVUT ARE EXPERIENCING RAPID WARMING

• Improvementsareneededinweatherforecastingandenvironmentalpredictionatregionalandlocalscales.

A HIGH NUMBER OF INUIT FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN ARE FOOD INSECURE

• Accesstoasustainablesupplyofhealthycountryfoodisofparamountconcern.Enhancinghuntersupportandcommunityfreezerprograms,formalizingthesupportforcountryfoodsharingnetworks,andfindingwaystoincreasetheavailabilityofcountryfoodscirculatingincommunitiesviacommercialsaleanddistributionarerecommended.

• Healthystore-boughtfoodsneedtobeavailableandaffordable.

• Initiativessuchasicemonitoring,trailmarkingandaccesstosurvivalequipment(suchasspottrackingdevices)mustbeencouraged.

• Searchandrescuecapacityatlocalandregionallevelsmustcontinuetobeimprovedandsupported.

• Traditionalandlandskillsknowledgetransferbetweengenerationsmustbeencouraged.

THE POPULATIONS OF THE LARGE CARIBOU HERDS ARE DECLINING

• Caribouhabitat,calvingareasandmigrationroutesmustbeconserved.

• Sporthunting,ifitaffectsthehealthofthecaribouherdsorInuitsubsistenceharvesting,shouldbecurtailedorbanned.

• Anacross-boundarypartnershipandcoordinationentityshouldbeestablishedforcariboumanagement.

SYNTHESIS OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

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NUNATSIAVUT AND NUNAVIK HAVE BEGUN IMPLEMENTING LAND USE PLANS

• Parks,protectedareasandlandshelteredfromdevelopmentshouldcontinuetobeidentifiedfortheconservationofvaluedecosystems.

ARCTIC CHARR IS AN IMPORTANT FOOD RESOURCE AT RISK

• ThesustainabilityoftheArcticcharrharvestmustcontinuetobeassessed.

• HabitatenhancementandrestockingforArcticcharrshouldbeconsidered.

• Community-basedmonitoringofArcticcharrpopulationsshouldbeimplemented.

THE THAWING OF PERMAFROST MODIFIES THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND REQUIRES ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE

• Improvedurbanplanningandappropriateengineeringpracticesshouldbeappliedtotakeintoaccountlocalenvironmentalconditionsincludingpermafrostandclimatechangeeffectsforconstructionprojects.

SEA ICE COVER IS DIMINISHING IN ITS EXTENT AND DURATION AND FJORD ECOSYSTEMS ARE CHANGING

• AbetterunderstandingofNunavikandNunatsiavutriverandcoastalsystemsiscrucial.

BERRY PRODUCTION IS PREDICTED TO DECLINE UNDER INCREASED SHRUB COVER

• Importantberryharvestingareasclosetocommunitiesshouldbeprotected.

MAINTAINING GOOD QUALITY DRINKING WATER IN COMMUNITIES IS A CHALLENGE

• Monitoringofwaterqualityforbothprimaryandsecondarysourcesofdrinkingwaterincommunitiesshouldbeimproved.

• Importantsourcesofdrinkingwaterclosetocommunitiesshouldbeprotected.