NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region

Tags: physical sciences, social sciences, climate change, adaptation planning, policy

Objective(s): To work in collaboration with community members, local stakeholders, scientists and policy makers to complete the development of climate change adaptation plans in Paulatuk, Ulukhaktok and Aklavik

Project Description: The researcher will work in collaboration with community members, local stakeholders, scientists and policy makers to complete the development of climate change adaptation plans in Paulatuk and Ulukhaktok and Aklavik. In Paulatuk and Ulukhaktok, ArcticNorth researchers working with local research assistants and coordinators, will reconvene the working groups from winter 2010 to review the preliminary adaptation plan and develop prioritization criteria. Technical information to support the adaption plan will be derived from hazard mapping of pertinent risks including sea level rise and permafrost thaw. This will involve geomorpholgical surveying, landscape hazard characterization, trend analysis of risks, and mapping exercises with community members and will be linked to GIS to develop maps of specific hazard exposures today and projected in the future. Additional engineering characteristics of infrastructural adaptations, including gravel pads and foundation strengthening will be obtained and detailed in the final report. This work will be conducted in communication and collaboration with engineers and decision makers in the communities and Territory. For actions related to subsistence hunting, project researchers will work together with Hunters and Trappers Committees in each community, active harvesters, harvester assistance program coordinators, and health care professionals to detail pathways to addressing concerns related to food security and harvester support programs. The researchers will work with local communicators to find out the most effective means to engage the community as a whole in discussion of the preliminary adaptation plan. The reserachers expect this to involve townhall-style meetings, radio shows, personal visits, and the use of new media such as photography, video, and web-based communication, to integrate the widest range of voices possible. Research methods employed in Aklavik will be consistent with the methods used in Paulatuk and Ulukhaktok. Specifics of the methodology and research plan are subject to change based on feedback obtained from a consultation visit to the community. The general approach will be as follows: An ArcticNorth researcher will work together with local research assistants, coordinators, and/or advisors to convene local working groups to generate adaptation options. Previously, the researchers have organized working groups around five themes, including: subsistence activities; culture and learning; business and economy; transportation and infrastructure; and health and well-being. Working group members will be recruited based on their strong interest and/or knowledge on a particular theme. The aim is to have 5-10 people per working group and working group meetings (one per group) will be 2-3 hours long. The starting point for discussion in working group meetings will be a list of local climate change concerns documented in previous research. These concerns will be reviewed for accuracy and comprehensiveness by the working groups, then the bulk of the discussion will focus on documenting and brainstorming adaptation actions to address climate change concerns. The research team (comprised of local assistants/coordinators and an ArcticNorth researcher) will follow-up with key informants as necessary to ensure the proposed adaptation actions are feasible and appropriate for addressing the targeted concern. Wider community input and feedback will be encouraged throughout the adaptation planning process. This project will be conducted as a "community-researcher" partnership in the same manner as previous projects undertaken by the applicants. Community members will be involved in research planning and development, data collection, compiling and reviewing results, and presenting results back to the community. At this stage in the project, the emphasis will be on results presentation, community outreach and education on issues related to climate change and adaptation, and some additional data collection with regard to infrastructure risks and adaptation. This project offers employment opportunities in the form of research assistants, translators, advisors, and coordinators and will be open to younger generation community members (research mentorship). The aim of this project is to engage the communities to develop adaptation planning tools for climate change that are locally appropriate; therefore it is essential that the community be involved in all stages of the research project. Research updates and final results will be communicated back to individuals and communities through a variety of formats and channels including: local radio, posters, community research reports translated into the local language, public presentations, school presentations, personal phone calls and visits. Routine updates and communication are already well-established between ArcticNorth researchers and the communities of Paulatuk and Ulukhaktok. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from January, 2011 to March 31, 2011.