Coastal Communities and Climate Change.
The Environment, Society and Policy Research Group employs qualitative and quantitative social science research methods to study the impacts of climate change on communities in the Arctic. However, similar principles and approaches can be applied to coastal communities across the globe. Climate change impacts in coastal communities include, for example, coastal erosion and sea level rise.
While these processes will have nuanced differences in their impact in different geographic areas, the management strategies and community interests can be derived from the use of similar research approaches, such as the Policy Delphi, semi-structured interviews or focus groups. As a result, the ESPG lab has also conducted research in coastal communities in the Caribbean and welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with researchers who have interests in coastal community climate change adaptation and economic development.
Individual Projects
The projects under this section aim to understand new and shifting shipping trends in the Arctic, and to develop a comprehensive database that will include any information relating to shipping activities such as tourist destinations, sensitive areas, marine mammal migratory trends and traditional use of the water by Inuit peoples. Ultimately, this research initiative will create an indispensable tool for policy makers, helping them in regulating activities in the north, and in protecting local peoples and the environment, and in promoting sustainable development strategies for our emerging northern economy.
ESPG RESEARCH
INUIT COMMUNITY: INFORMATION & SERVICES
ESPG RESEARCH
ARCTIC CORRIDORS & NORTHERN VOICES
ESPG RESEARCH
BEYOND CLIMATE CHANGE THEORY
ESPG RESEARCH
RECLAIMING PAGET FARM
Understanding Inuit Community Uses and Needs for Weather, Water, Ice, And Climate Information and Services
Funded by: Networks of Excellence – ArcticNet and The Canada Research Chairs Program (2019 – 2022)
Dr. Gita Ljubicic (McMaster University), Dr. Jackie Dawson, & Dr. Natalie Carter (uOttawa) (Click for full list of collaborators and additional information)
This ArcticNet funded project is led by Dr. Gita Ljubicic of McMaster University, Dr. Jackie Dawson is a Co-Investigator, and Dr. Natalie Carter is the Nunavut Regional Co-Lead. The study focuses on identifying the utility of existing weather, water, ice, and climate information services for Inuit communities who rely on reliable data for safe transportation on sea ice and in the marine environment in order to engage in community, cultural, and subsistence hunting activities. The goal of this project is to improve the information that is available, and how it is communicated to northern communities in order to make safe travel decisions. The project is endorsed by the World Meteorological Organization through its Polar Prediction Project.
Photo Credit: Luke Copland
Arctic Corridors & Northern Voices
Funded by: ArcticNet, Clear Seas, The Canada Research Chairs Program, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Irving Ship Building Inc., Marine Environment Observation Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR), Northern Scientific Training Program Nunavut Arctic College, Nunavut General Monitoring Program, Nunavut Research Institute, Ocean’s North, Pew Charitable Trusts, Students for Canada’s North, SSHRC, and WWF-Canada (2015 – 2020)
Dr. Jackie Dawson & Dr. Natalie Carter (uOttawa) (For full list of collaborators please see website)
As shipping growth continues in Arctic Canada there is a need for governance options that support safe and sustainable operations. In response, the Government of Canada created low impact shipping corridors designed to voluntarily route traffic in areas where infrastructure and services could be prioritized. One of the major gaps in the establishment of the corridors was the omission of Inuit knowledge in their design. The approach also lacked consideration of Inuit and northern perspectives on culturally significant marine areas. The ACNV project filled this important gap by working closely with the Government of Canada and with Inuit leaders and communities in order to: 1) extend a long-term geo-spatial ship track database (1990-present) in Arctic Canada, 2) identify temporal and spatial shipping trends and established zones of high and low use, 3) document Culturally Significant Marine Areas; and 4) establish potential management strategies for low impact shipping corridors. The ACNV website can be accessed here.
Photo Credit: Meet the North
Beyond Climate Change Theory
What contributes to local-level adaptive capacity in Caribbean small island communities?
Jessica Jaja, Dr. Jackie Dawson, Dr Daniel Lane, Dr Eric Crighton (uOttawa)
The focus of this research is on identifying the determinants of local-level climate change adaptive capacity in Caribbean small island communities. A single case study approach was employed to assess retrospectively both internal and external factors that contributed to the adaptive capacity of Paget Farm, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The Caribbean region’s first solar-powered desalination plant was implemented in the community specifically as a climate change adaptation strategy and thus provides an ideal case for retrospective analysis. A series of semi-structured interviews with local residents and key stakeholders revealed a number of interacting social and institutional factors that contribute to community-based adaptive capacity. Further analysis of institutional factors was undertaken using Social Network Analysis, which enabled visualization and quantification of vertical and horizontal institutional integration of the networks formed during different phases of project implementation. The research extends scholarly understanding of the determinants that influence local-level climate change adaptive capacity and provides practical evidence that can assist small island communities to respond to a changing climate.
Reclaiming Paget Farm
A participatory film and community restoration initiative in the Caribbean
Jessica Jaja
Working alongside the people of Bequia, this grassroots initiative grew organically from the realization that coastal pollution fundamentally impacts every aspect of community dynamics. Reclaiming Paget Farm uses participatory filmmaking to heighten awareness around community environmental issues and seeks to demonstrate how collective actions can bring positive social and environmental change.