Responding To Global Climate Change In Canada S Arctic

This volume describes current understanding of the impacts that climate change and variability will have on all aspects of the Northwest Territories/Nunavut physical & biological environment and its socio-economic activities, and of existing or potential adaptation options. The initial sections review the region's socio-economic context, ecozones, and climate, and describe various scenarios of climate change as determined from global climate change models. Section D assesses impacts of and adaptation to climate change in the physical environment (hydrology, permafrost, sea ice, sea level & coastal processes, freshwater ice), in terrestrial & marine ecosystems, and in such socio-economic sectors as oil & gas, transportation, construction, tourism, forestry, and fisheries. The final section discusses opportunities for further research.

This report documents much of what is presently known about the impacts of climate change on a number of sectors in British Columbia and Yukon, and also summarizes outcomes of a climate change workshop. It compiles papers on the following subjects; climate variability and change; impacts on the physical environment, including sea levels, stream flow, glaciers, and geomorphic processes; impacts on natural ecosystems; impacts on economic sectors, managed ecosystems, and lifestyles, including impacts on air quality, agriculture, Aboriginal lifestyles, and energy production; and human responses to climate change, including governmental and industry strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The appendix includes climate change scenarios for British Columbia and Yukon.

The Arctic is undergoing rapid and dramatic environmental and social transformations due to climate change. This has ramifications for the entire planet, as change spreads through interconnected global networks that are environmental, cultural, economic and political. Today, with the major thrust of research shifting away from deciphering causes and monitoring trends, the central preoccupation of a growing circle of actors has become the exploration of strategies for responding and adapting to climate change. But to understand the far-reaching nature of climate change impacts and the complexities of adaptation, a truly interdisciplinary approach is required. Unique in the UN system, UNESCO brings together the domains of natural sciences, social sciences,culture, education and communication. Given this broad mandate, UNESCO favors integrated approaches for monitoring and adapting to climate change in the Arctic, fostering dialogue among scientists, circumpolar communities and decision-makers. This book brings together the knowledge, concerns and visions of leading Arctic scientists in the natural and social sciences, prominent Chukchi, Even, Inuit and Saami leaders from across the circumpolar North, and international experts in education, health and ethics. They highlight the urgent need for a sustained interdisciplinary and multi-actor approach to monitoring, managing and responding to climate change in the Arctic, and explore avenues by which this can be achieved.--Publisher's description.

The Arctic is now experiencing some of the most rapid and severe climate change on earth. Over the next 100 years, climate change is expected to accelerate, contributing to major physical, ecological, social, and economic changes, many of which have already begun. Changes in arctic climate will also affect the rest of the world through increased global warming and rising sea levels. The volume addresses the following major topics: - Research results in observing aspects of the Arctic climate system and its processes across a range of time and space scales - Representation of cryospheric, atmospheric, and oceanic processes in models, including simulation of their interaction with coupled models - Our understanding of the role of the Arctic in the global climate system, its response to large-scale climate variations, and the processes involved.

This study examines the impacts on the Prairie Provinces of climatic changes, and the possible adaptations or responses to those changes. It focuses on eight key climate-sensitive areas or sectors selected for analysis: agriculture, forestry, energy resources, insurance, recreation/tourism, water supply and demand, aquatic ecosystems, and wildlife/biodiversity. The first two chapters set out the regional context, with information on geography, population, economics, and climate. The next three chapters review regional climate sensitivities, impacts of climate change, and adaptation to climate for each of the areas or sectors. The final chapter suggests opportunities for further research. The appendix includes a summary of knowledge of proxy records of post-glacial climate in the Prairie Provinces.

Canada’s Top Climate Change Risks identifies the top risk areas based on the extent and likelihood of the potential damage, and rates the risk areas according to society’s ability to adapt and reduce negative outcomes. These 12 major areas of risk are: agriculture and food, coastal communities, ecosystems, fisheries, forestry, geopolitical dynamics, governance and capacity, human health and wellness, Indigenous ways of life, northern communities, physical infrastructure, and water. The report describes an approach to inform federal risk prioritization and adaptation responses. The Panel outlines a multi-layered method of prioritizing adaptation measures based on an understanding of the risk, adaptation potential, and federal roles and responsibilities.

Every day brings new headlines about climate change as politicians debate how to respond, scientists offer new data, and skeptics critique the validity of the research. To step outside these scientific and political debates, Timothy Leduc engages with various Inuit understandings of northern climate change. What he learns is that today’s climate changes are not only affecting our environments, but also our cultures. By focusing on the changes currently occurring in the north, he highlights the challenges being posed to Western climate research, Canadian politics and traditional Inuit knowledge. Climate, Culture, Change sheds light on the cultural challenges posed by northern warming and proposes an intercultural response that is demonstrated by the blending of Inuit and Western perspectives.