Environmental Research Web: Health-relevant adaptation to climate change “still in its infancy”
Photo by Graham McDowell
Alex’s recent paper in ERL was recently profiled in a story on environmental research web by Liz Kalaugher.
In the first study of its kind, researchers from McGill University, Canada, examined the Fifth National Communication (NC) reports sent to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by Annex I parties (mainly developed countries) in 2009 and 2010. This provided information on health adaptation measures taken by 38 of the 41 countries; Malta, Monaco and Turkey did not submit their data in time for the study.
Read the rest of the article at Environmental Research Web.
Lesnikowski, A., Ford, J., et al. 2011. Environmental Research Letters 6 (4). Find PDF.
Adapting to the health effects of climate change is one of the key challenges facing public health this century. Our knowledge of progress on adaptation, however, remains in its infancy. Using the Fifth National Communications of Annex I parties to the UNFCCC, 1912 initiatives are systematically identified and analyzed. 80% of the actions identified consist of groundwork (i.e. preparatory) action, with only 20% constituting tangible adaptations. read more…
Two members of the Climate Change Adaptation Research Group are attending the UNFCCC COP 17 this month in Durban, South Africa. Will Vanderbilt is presenting a booth in the DEC profiling the group’s activities, as well as the IHACC project. Michelle Maillet is conducting research on the discourse on indigenous peoples and climate change adaptation and the policy decisions made within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for her M.A. in Geography at McGill. Videos displayed at the booth, as well as blog posts by the team at the conference, will appear on our special COP 17 page as the event progresses.
You can also follow our group on twitter for live updates.
Authorship in IPCC AR5 and its implications for content: climate change and Indigenous populations in WGII
Ford, J, Vanderbilt, W, Berrang-Ford, L. Climatic Change (In Press). Download PDF (Open Access).
This essay examines the extent to which we can expect Indigenous Knowledge, understanding, and voices on climate change (‘Indigenous content’) to be captured in WGII of the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), based on an analysis of chapter authorship. Reviewing the publishing history of 309 chapter authors (CAs) to WGII, we document 9 (2.9%) to have published on climate change and Indigenous populations and involved as authors in 6/30 chapters. Drawing upon recent scholarship highlighting how authorship affect structure and content of assessment reports, we argue that, unaddressed, this will affect the extent to which Indigenous content is examined and assessed. While it is too late to alter the structure of AR5, there are opportunities to prioritize the recruitment of contributing authors and reviewers with expertise on Indigenous issues, raise awareness among CAs on the characteristics of impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability faced by Indigenous peoples, and highlight how Indigenous perspectives can help broaden our understanding of climate change and policy interventions.
This summer, I spent the months of May and June on Baffin Island conducting field work for my Master’s thesis entitled “Inuit Food Security: Vulnerability of the traditional food system to climatic extremes during winter 2010/2011 in Iqaluit, Nunavut.” This was my third time visiting Iqaluit, and I was very eager to return. Previously, I conducted a preliminary consultation trip in February to meet with local stakeholders and further develop my research project. I returned to Iqaluit again in March to present my research proposal to the Amarok Hunters and Trappers Association. These two prior trips allowed me to forge relationships and acquaint myself with the community, and were invaluable for preparing me for my field work season. read more…
Graham McDowell Speaks at TEDx McGill 2010 from James Ford on Vimeo.
Group member Graham McDowell spoke at TEDx McGill about De-Abstracting climate change in November 2010. Graham is now studying for an MSc in Environmental Change and Management at the University of Oxford, UK.
Ford, JD and Berrang Ford, L. (2011). Climate change adaptation in developed nations: From theory to practice. Springer, in press.
Update: The book is now available for order and download for many institutional users on Springer’s website.
This 36 chapter edited volume will be published in early 2011 and profiles examples of adaptation planning from across developed nations. Authored by leading scientists and policy makers, the book is organized around 7 sections: Section I: Introduction and overview; Section II: Climate change adaptation in the public health sector; Section III: Climate change adaptation in the industrial sector; Section IV: Climate change adaptation in the urban environment; Section V: Climate change adaptation in the agricultural sector; Section VI: Climate change adaptation in rural and resource dependent communities; and Section VII: Future directions. read more…
Lardeau, M., Healey, G., Ford, J. (2011). Rural and Remote Health 11 (online), 2011: 1680. View Article.
Introduction: Food insecurity is a chronic problem affecting Inuit communities. The most comprehensive assessment of Inuit food security to-date, the Inuit Health Survey, reported that 70% of Inuit pre-school children lived in ‘food insecure’ households. Food banks and soup kitchens are relatively new in the Arctic but the number of users is increasing. Little is known about the experience and determinants of food insecurity among food program users who are often among the most marginalized (socially and economically) in communities. The use of participatory research methods when working in the north of Canada can promote meaningful knowledge exchange with community members and this approach was used in the present ‘Photovoice’ research. Photovoice uses photography to develop a baseline understanding of an issue, in this case the experience and determinants of food insecurity among users of community food programs in Iqaluit, Nunavut. The target population includes those who face significant social and economic marginalization, an often neglected group in Arctic food systems research. read more…
Responses to food insecurity: Experiences of users of community based programs in Iqaluit, Nunavut
A report for the community of Iqaluit, Nunavut. Download as a PDF. Marie-Pierre Lardeau will present her research on this project this week in Iqaluit; For more information about this project, visit its project page on this site.
We interviewed 94 users of three community programs in Iqaluit over the month of May 2010. We profile here six key findings identified through these interviews and propose recommendations based on these interviews.
Iqaluit is a growing community undergoing rapid change. Despite improved economic conditions, food insecurity remains high in Nunavut communities, which means that many are concerned with having enough of the foods they like on a daily basis. Part of this is explained by climate change, which is making access and availability of traditional foods more challenging. On the other hand, high prices of food in stores also make access to store foods difficult. read more…
Marie-Pierre’s work was recently profiled in Above and Beyond, First Air’s inflight magazine. You can view the original version the article by Tim Lougheed on the magazine’s website.
For centuries, European explorers seeking the Northwest Passage ate poorly, often paying the ultimate price for not knowing how to sustain themselves in the harsh environment of Canada’s North. At the same time, the indigenous people of this region ate well, having mastered the essential skills to wrest a balanced diet from this same unforgiving environment.
Today the dining tables are turned, as many Inuit find themselves facing their own set of nutritional challenges. In some cases, the difficulty stems from changes that were once welcomed, such as the replacement of dog teams with snowmobiles or traditional qajaqs with powerboats. These technological enhancements are expensive to acquire and operate, which drastically reduces the number of people who can hunt or fish. read more…
Pearce, T., Wright, H., Notaina, R., Kudlak, A., Smit, B., Ford, J., and Furgal, C. (2011). Human Ecology. 39 (3), 271-288. Find PDF.
The transmission of environmental knowledge and land skills was studied among Inuit men in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada. A list of 83 skills important for safe and successful harvesting was generated with 14 active hunters and elders, and examined with a sample of 47 men. This research found that land skills continue to be transmitted most often from older to younger generations through observation and apprenticeship in the environment. However there is a difference in the rate of skills transmission among generations, with average transmission rates lowest among younger respondents. Some skills were transmitted well among younger respondents including general hunting and camp-related skills, but others such as traveling on the sea ice and traditional navigation skills were not. Loss of certain skills and incomplete transmission of others were related to the absence of skills teachers, loss of native language, and changes in the educational environment.
Canadian federal support for climate change and health research compared with the risks posed
Ford, J., et al. (2011). American Journal of Public Health, 101(5), 814-821. Access PDF.
For emerging public health risks such as climate change, the Canadian federal government has a mandate to provide information and resources to protect citizens’ health. Research is a key component of this mandate and is essential if Canada is to moderate the health effects of a changing climate.
We assessed whether federal support for climate change and health research is consistent with the risks posed. We audited projects receiving federal support between 1999 and 2009, representing an investment of Can$16 million in 105 projects.
Although funding has increased in recent years, it remains inadequate, with negligible focus on vulnerable populations, limited research on adaptation, and volatility in funding allocations. A federal strategy to guide research support is overdue.
To better prepare for my Master’s thesis research, I came to Iqaluit for a five day consultation trip. Graham McDowell, a fellow member of the Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Research Group, also came to further his involvement with the Iqaluit Land Use Mapping Project (ILMP). Graham planned to go “on the land” with two local Inuuk, Levi and Anu, and I was fortunate enough to be invited on the trip.
We left Iqaluit in the early afternoon of February 22. The weather conditions were not forecasted to be ideal, with predicted temperatures of -23°C with -35°C wind chill, winds of 37km with 46km gusts, as well as drifting snow. On the sea ice of Frobisher Bay, we had blue skies above and clear visibility ahead. Our destination was one of the smaller bays located northwest of Iqaluit.
Before we left, Levi had checked the internet to assess the current ice conditions. He had noticed that the sea ice was not completely frozen, so we would have to take an alternative land route instead. It appears as though modern technology has proven to be complementary to Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ), otherwise known as traditional Inuit knowledge. read more…
Press Release: McGill University researchers – Politicians ignore crucial healthcare factor: climate change
For Immediate Release
April 18th, 2011.
Download the PDF here
Download the full text of the article from the American Journal of Public Health here
McGill University researchers – Politicians ignore crucial healthcare factor: climate change
As politicians battle over which party would do a better job on healthcare, they are ignoring a crucial factor: climate change.
According to McGill University study released last week, federal funding for research on the public health risks posed by climate change in Canada “remains inadequate, with negligible focus on vulnerable populations, limited research on adaptation, and volatility in funding allocations.”
“Climate change poses one of the main health risks to Canadians in the 21st century,” says Dr James Ford, the study’s lead author. “Yet since 2000, only 5 cents per Canadian per year has been put towards the research we need to develop strategies to protect Canadians’ health.”
