Adapting to the Effects of Climate Change on Inuit Health

Ford, James D.; Willox, Ashlee Cunsolo; Chatwood, Susan; Furgal, Christopher; Harper, Sherilee L.; Mauro, Ian; Pearce, Tristan

doi:10.2105/ajph.2013.301724

Cited by 83 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…18,19 Despite these and other changes, hunting and travelling on the land remain a vital component of food security and cultural identity for the majority of families in Nunavut. 20,21 Though these activities are prohibitively costly for some, many still go out on the land, particularly on weekends. Snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and boats are used for travel outside of the twenty-five hamlets in Nunavut.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of environmental factors in search and rescue incidents in Nunavut, Canada

et al. 2016

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Objectives: Unintentional injury is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Nunavut, where the importance of land-based activities and reliance on semi-permanent trails creates unique risk profiles. Climate change is believed to be exacerbating these risks, although no studies have quantitatively examined links between environmental conditions and injury and distress in the Canadian Arctic. We examine the correlation between environmental conditions and land-based search and rescue (SAR) incidents across Nunavut. Study design: Case studyMethods: Case data was acquired from the Canadian National Search and Rescue Secretariat. Gasoline sales from across the territory are then used to model land-use and exposure. We compare weather and ice conditions during 202 SAR incidents to conditions during 755 non-SAR days (controls) between 2013 and 2014.Results: We show daily ambient temperature, ice concentration, ice thickness, and variation in types of ice to be correlated with SAR rates across the territory during the study period.Conclusions: These conditions are projected to be affected by future climate change, which could increase demand for SAR and increased injury rates in absence of targeted efforts aimed at prevention and treatment. This study provides health practitioners and public health communities with clearer understanding to prepare, respond to, and prevent injuries across the Arctic.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of environmental factors in search and rescue incidents in Nunavut, Canada

et al. 2016

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“…The role of TK and erosion of TK in recent years is a challenge for indigenous communities globally and is an important factor in creating and managing vulnerability and enhancing adaptive capacity, including for the Inuit and First Nations communities in North America and the circumpolar North Ford et al 2014a;Pearce et al 2014;Ford et al 2010a), the Shipibo and the Shawi in the Peruvian Amazon (Hofmeijer et al 2013;Sherman, 2014), the Tsiname peoples of the Bolivia (Reyes- Garcia et al 2005), the Batwa Pygmies in Uganda , and communities in Australia (Leonard et al 2013). Research documenting connections between health implications or adaptative capacity and loss of TK outside of the Arctic and Australia is growing but still limited, however .…”

Section: Global Relevancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Vulnerability to the health impacts of climate change will be shaped by existing burdens of ill-health, climate-sensitive infrastructures, reliance on climate-sensitive livelihoods, limited technological capacity, poor public service infrastructure, weak institutions, and political inequality and is expected to be highest in poor and socioeconomically marginalized populations (Costello et al 2009;Markandya 2011;Haines et al 2006;McMichael 2013b;Ford et al 2014a;Smith et al 2014). The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that it is very likely that all of Africa will experience warming in the twentyfirst century, with projections demonstrating a faster rise than the global average (Niang et al 2014;Christensen et al 2013, Collins et al 2013.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vulnerability to the health effects of climate variability in rural southwestern Uganda

Labbé

Ford

Berrang‐Ford

et al. 2015

Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Change

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Vulnerability to the health impacts of climate change will be shaped by the existing burden of ill-health and is expected to be highest in poor and socio-economically marginalized populations. Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, is considered a highly vulnerable region. This paper analyses the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of rural Bakiga communities in southwestern Uganda to climate-sensitive health risks. The objectives were threefold: i) identify key climate-sensitive, community-identified health priorities; ii) describe and characterize determinants of sensitivity to these health priorities at the individual, community and regional levels; and iii) assess the adaptive capacity of Bakiga. Data collection employed a combination of individual and key informant interviews, biographies, future storylines, and Photovoice. Three key health risks were identified by the study communities (malaria, food insecurity, and gastrointestinal illnesses) -all affected by local climatic and environmental conditions, livelihoods, land use changes, and socio-economic conditions. Adaptation within Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Change these communities is dependent on their capacity to reduce sensitivities to identified health challenges among the potential of increasing exposures. Crop diversification, reducing deforestation, expanding of livestock rearing, transfer of traditional knowledge, and access to affordable health services are among potential strategies identified. We demonstrate significant existing vulnerabilities to present day climate-related health risks and highlight the importance of non-climatic processes and local conditions in creating sensitivity to health risks. Our placebased understanding is useful to inform interventions or policies aimed to reduce exposure and sensitivity and support adaptive capacity as the conditions these communities face are consistent with many other sub-Saharan African countries.

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“…The rapid rate of climatic and environmental changes in the Arctic affects local ecosystems and Indigenous peoples’ ability to travel on the land [3,5]. Across the Canadian Arctic, melting permafrost, permafrost erosion, less predictable ice conditions, increased forest fires, unpredictable weather patterns, and changing wildlife habitats are expected to increase the safety risks to travelers in the backcountry [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Backcountry Travel Emergencies in Arctic Canada: A Pilot Study in Public Health Surveillance

Young

Tabish

Pollock

et al. 2016

IJERPH

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Residents in the Canadian Arctic regularly travel in remote, backcountry areas. This can pose risks for injuries and death, and create challenges for emergency responders and health systems. We aimed to describe the extent and characteristics of media-reported backcountry travel emergencies in two Northern Canadian territories (Nunavut and Northwest Territories). A case-series of all known incidents between 2004 and 2013 was established by identifying events in an online search of two media outlets, Nunatsiaq News and Northern News Services. We identified 121 incidents; these most commonly involved young men, and death occurred in just over 25% of cases. The territories differed in the seasonal patterns. News media provides a partial source of data to estimate the extent and characteristics of backcountry emergencies. This information is needed to improve emergency preparedness and health system responsiveness in the Arctic.

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Adapting to the Effects of Climate Change on Inuit Health

Cited by 83 publications

References 75 publications

The role of environmental factors in search and rescue incidents in Nunavut, Canada

The role of environmental factors in search and rescue incidents in Nunavut, Canada

Vulnerability to the health effects of climate variability in rural southwestern Uganda

Backcountry Travel Emergencies in Arctic Canada: A Pilot Study in Public Health Surveillance

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