Transcript Ford-where`s the ice gone - Tyndall°Centre for Climate Change

"Where's the ice gone?"
Climate change vulnerability
and adaptation in an Inuit
community
Dr James Ford
Dept. of Geography, McGill University
Arctic Climate Change
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Observed change
Dramatic projections
Indigenous peoples vulnerable
Photo: J. MacDonald
ACIA (2005); IPCC (2007)
My Research
Characterize Inuit vulnerability
to climate change
• Who and what are vulnerable?
• What stresses?
• Determinants?
• Capacity to cope?
Case Study Research
• Inuit communities
Igloolik, Nunavut
Igloolik, Nunavut
Igloolik
Igloolik, Nunavut
Research: 2002 - 2005
• PhD research
• 44 in-depth interviews with Inuit
Key Findings
• Changing biophysical environments
– Increasing danger
– Food security
• Vulnerability exacerbated by other
stresses
– Erosion of safety and survival skills
– Weakening of food sharing
(Ford, 2005; Ford et al., 2006, 2007; Ford and Community of Igloolik, 2006)
Research: 2006 - 2008
• Postdoctoral research
• 50 interviews
• 7 focus groups
Key Findings
• Back-to back extremes
– 2005, 2006, 2007 freeze-up
(Ford, 2007; Ford et al., 2008a, b)
Key Findings
• Back-to back extremes
• Safety implications moderated by a
number of processes
(Ford, 2007; Ford et al., 2008a, b)
Key Findings
• Back-to back extremes
• Safety implications moderated by a
number of processes
– Social learning: experience of change
since late 90s
(Ford, 2007; Ford et al., 2008a, b)
Key Findings
• Back-to back extremes
• Safety implications moderated by a
number of processes
– Social learning: experience of change
since late 90s
– Local institutions: see paper
(Ford, 2007; Ford et al., 2008a, b)
Key Findings
• Back-to back extremes
• Safety implications moderated by a
number of processes
• Food system still vulnerable
– Constrained access
– Difficult to offset with store food
(Ford, 2007; Ford et al., 2008a, b)
Conclusion
• 6 years of continuous cc vulnerability
and adaptation research
• Ongoing – IPY
• Using work to monitor developments in
vulnerability and adaptation
Acknowledgements
• Funding: IPY CAVIAR project, SSHRC,
ArcticNet, Nat. Resources Canada
• Colleagues: Drs Barry Smit, Gita
Laidler, William Gough, Wayne Pollard,
George Wenzel, Lea Berrang Ford
• Community collaborators: Celina
Irngaut, Kevin Qrunnut, Harry
Ittusujurat, John MacDonald, all 94
interviewees!
Thank you
Late Freeze Up
Freeze up: 1
week per
decade later
1969 – 2005
(Sign. at 99%
conf. interval)
a). 28th August 2006
Summer walrus
hunting areas
a). 27th August 2007
c). 30th August 2004
Key for maps a - c
b). 29th August 2005