Community vulnerability to climate change in the context of other exposure-sensitivities in Kugluktuk, Nunavut

Figures & data

Fig. 1.  Map showing the location of Kugluktuk, NU.

Fig. 2.  Average monthly precipitation and temperature at Kugluktuk, NU, for the period 1971–2000. (Source: Environment Canada 2010.)

Table 1. Major interview themes and example questions asked under each theme.

Interview theme	Example questions
Background information	• Age/sex
	• Years in community
	• Activities involved in
Current changes	Open-ended and unprompted
	• Have you seen any changes in Kugluktuk? Which ones?
	• How do these changes affect you?
	• How do you deal with these changes?
	Directed questions—environmental/climate change
	• Have you seen any changes in:
	–ice conditions
	–winds or storms
	–wildlife
	–other?
	• How do these changes affect you?
	• How do you deal with these changes?
Future challenges	• Do you see some of the changes we talked about continuing to be a problem?
	• Are you concerned about climate change impacts?
	–Which ones?
	–What resources does the community have to adapt?

Table 2. Summary of exposure-sensitivities, adaptations and key remaining vulnerabilities, Kugluktuk, NU.

Climatic	Relevant exposure-sensitivities	Adaptations to exposure-sensitivities	Key (remaining) vulnerabilities
	• Changing ice, precipitation, winds and weather norms	• Alteration of travel routes and timing of travel	• Some changing environmental conditions are posing continued problems for harvesters (e.g., thinning ice, poor weather), thereby resulting in more risk-taking travel
	° Ice forming later in the season and melting earlier and generally thinner	• Increased preparedness while on the land via use of weather reports, radios, survival gear (e.g., warm clothes, extra food, stove, tent), navigational devices and by travelling in groups	• Community infrastructure not well-adapted to a changing climate
	° Less snow in winter and melts earlier	• Rebuilding and modest reinforcement of damaged infrastructure
	° Snow quality has changed, with greater instances of deep and hard-packed snows	• Changes to the timing of harvesting and type of species harvested; sharing occurs when food is not abundant
	° Increased incidents of freezing rain in the winter
	° Unusual winds with respect to both intensity and dominant direction
	° Less predictable weather
	Make travel more dangerous
	• Permafrost melt and extreme weather has damaged and/or impacted infrastructure (e.g., hamlet roads and all-terrain vehicle trails, building foundations)
	• Changing wildlife conditions, e.g.,
	° “Southern” species increasingly being found
	° Altered caribou, char, bear, etc., migration and hibernation patterns
	° Increased incidents of diseased and unhealthy animals
	Make harvesting more challenging
Non-climatic
	• Residual exposure from historic changes (e.g., contact with and integration into Western society)	• Teaching traditional knowledge and land skills to younger generations (e.g., traditional knowledge camps; changes to language legislation)	• Traditional knowledge not readily being passed down to younger generations
	• High unemployment, low education levels, overcrowding of housing, elevated levels of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder	• Increased involvement in the wage economy by residents	• Social ills (e.g., crime, poverty, suicide, low education) remain rampant. Mitigating efforts have had limited effects to date, although these efforts continue.
	• Elevated levels of crime, suicide, alcoholism and drug abuse	• Signing of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement has provided Nunavut residents with greater self-government powers
	• Erosion of traditional knowledge among youth	• Nunavut Harvesters Support Programme provides financial assistance to purchase harvesting equipment
	• Increased employment opportunities, namely with regional mineral development	• Various initiatives by the territory and hamlet to deal with social ills (e.g., Nunavut's suicide prevention strategy, Kugluktuk's Grizzlies programme)
	• Signing of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement has provided Nunavut residents with greater self-government powers (new challenges associated with government and institution building)

Fig. 3.  The last day with snow on the ground in Kugluktuk, NU, for the period 1978–2007. (Source: Environment Canada 2010.)

Fig. 4.  Wind direction by percentage for winter season (October–April) in Kugluktuk, NU, for the period 1978–79 to 2006–07. (Source: Environment Canada 2010.)

Fig. 5.  Road and culvert erosion in Kugluktuk, NU, following a storm on 20–21 July 2007.