How can policy help Inuit adapt to climate change in Canada?

How can policy help Inuit adapt to climate change in Canada?

Climate change is currently threatening fundamental human rights for Inuit in Canada. A number of policy options can help Inuit adapt. I organize policy responses according to how they can uphold key human rights.

I). The right to practice and enjoy the benefits of ones culture is violated as climate change reduces access to traditional hunting areas. Inuit are not passive in the face of such change, however. Across northern Canada, hunters are adopting new technology to maintain access to hunting areas. More ice-free open water in the summer, for instance, is considered a benefit in many communities and Inuit are using boats to take advantage of the new hunting opportunities. At other times of the year when the ice is unsafe, All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) are being used to bypass the frozen ocean. New trails which detour unsafe and impassable areas are also being developed to access hunting areas. Such adaptations, involving changing resource use patterns in response to environmental circumstances, have defined the very nature of Inuit survival in the Arctic for millennia. In the modern world, however, such responses are not accessible to all Inuit. ATVs and boats are often too expensive for hunters, and the costs of having to travel further can not always be afforded. Support programs for harvesters are offered in all the Inuit regions of Canada by regional governments and land claim institutions, and help hunters' access climate adaptations. However, there are significant shortfalls in resources available, and this will no doubt increase as the impacts of climate change become pronounced. Financial support for harvester programs, targeted at helping Inuit afford to adapt, is one way in which Canadian and international support can help Inuit maintain their ability to practice culturally important activities in a changing climate.

ii). The right to health and life is violated as climate change increases the danger of using traditional lands. Inuit are responding to such risks by taking along safety equipment such as satellite phones, global positioning systems, emergency beacons, immersion suits, and are utilizing available weather and ice forecasts to assess safety of using the land at certain times of the year. Harvester support, similar to the programs noted above, is required to help Inuit access these important but expensive technologies, along with the provision of training to help local people make full use of these technologies. Improved hazard forecasting is also required: at present only four meteorologists cover Canada's Arctic region and are unable to provide regularly updated weather forecasts that hunters need in a changing climate. Moreover, there is a need to develop key traditional skills among younger generation Inuit. Across Inuit regions, research has noted that many of today's youth do not have the detailed knowledge of environmental conditions necessary for safe hunting and travel. Climate change is exacerbating this trend, increasing the danger for young people and reducing opportunities for youth to engage in traditional activities. Addressing the erosion of traditional skills through the creation of cultural schools / land skills programs is a priority across the Canadian north, as land skills and knowledge become even more essential with climate change.

iii) The right to enjoy personal property is threatened with increasing damage and loss of expensive hunting equipment with climate change, violating the right to enjoy personal property. For many Inuit, loss or damage to equipment means temporary or permanent loss of livelihood as many hunters do not have the financial means to repair or replace equipment. Furthermore, very few, if any, Inuit have insurance on their equipment due to cost, the fact that most Inuit do not have bank accounts, and cultural attitudes. Regional governments offer disaster compensation in some instances but this is widely regarded as insufficient, and claims can expect to increase with climate change. In the future, Inuit leaders will likely push for compensation for lost and damaged equipment from the Canadian government and internationally.

iv). Inviolability of the home: is threatened as sea level rise, coastal erosion, permafrost thaw, and more active slope processes threaten Inuit cultural sites and communities. Physical interventions are being considered in vulnerable communities across the Arctic to protect infrastructure. These include moving buildings, raising buildings, and installing engineering structures to provide protection from wave action and permafrost thaw. Any engineering-based measures, however, will be costly. Recently announced federal funding under the government's Building Canada long-term infrastructure fund will help 'climate proof' key infrastructure, although cultural sites are not covered by this fund. Documenting cultural sites at risk with climate change, identifying adaptation options and needs, and establishing funds to help protect them should all be a priority to support Inuit adaptation and protect the inviolability of the home.

As these points make clear, adaptation can, and is, help(ing) Inuit manage climate change. Many adaptations, however, are costly and exceed the financial ability of Inuit households, regional governments, and land claims institutions. Establishing compensation funds and procedures accessible by Inuit and regional governments in advance of future climate change is essential to helping Inuit maintain their livelihoods and culture in a changing climate. Such action is supported by the FCCC which commits parties to formulate policies to facilitate adequate adaptation, human rights law, and the Canadian Charter. "

Cheers
James

Dr James Ford
CIHR Postdoctoral Fellow
McGill University
http://www.arctic-north.com/JamesPersonalWebsite/