Abstracts
Unikkaaqatigit: Putting the Human Face on Climate Change Through Community Workshops: Inuit Knowledge, Partnerships, and Research
Mark Buell1, Christopher Furgal and Scot Nickels
1National Aboriginal Health Organization
mbuell@naho.ca
Inuit are concerned about the impacts on environment, health, and culture from global changes such as climate change. To date, little attention has been given to the potential impacts on public health in northern communities. Furthermore, few data (qualitative or quantitative) have been gathered or organized in a cohesive form to support communities' ability to identify, understand, and communicate their concerns about environmental change. Much of the discussion on northern climate change to date has centered on documenting changes and not necessarily discussing how communities are adapting or can adapt in the future.
In response to interest by Canadian Inuit communities and organizations, a project investigating climate change, potential impacts, and strategies for adaptation was initiated. Workshops involving residents of 14 Inuit communities in the four Inuit regions were convened to help residents document observations, understandings, and effects of climate related changes in their area, and to identify existing or develop new strategies to adapt with the resulting impacts.
Many communities have already started to adapt to changes occurring in their area. Community workshops identified where hunting and fishing patterns have been altered, investments in shoreline protection programs have taken place, where water consumption habits have changed, and where further work to help identify the nature of impacts and develop appropriate adaptation strategies are needed. This project has provided the impetus for further work in these communities related to some specific climate impacts on health as well as the development of monitoring programs and community adaptation strategies. Additionally, the process has helped bring a Inuit are concerned about the impacts on environment, health, and culture from global changes such as climate change. To date, little attention has been given to the potential impacts on public health in northern communities. Furthermore, few data (qualitative or quantitative) have been gathered or organized in a cohesive form to support communities' ability to identify, understand, and communicate their concerns about environmental change. Much of the discussion on northern climate change to date has centered on documenting changes and not necessarily discussing how communities are adapting or can adapt in the future.
2005-04-05 |
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