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B A F F I N B AY /
DAV I S S T R A I T R E G I O N
OV E RV IE W RE P O RT
The following is a short Describing the BBDS region
description of what can be
The BBDS region includes parts of Nunavut, which is a
found in this overview report territory in Canada and the western part of Greenland, an
and the underlying AACA science autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark. These two
report for the Baffin Bay/Davis land areas are separated by the Baffin Bay to the north
and Davis Strait to the south. The report describes the
Strait (BBDS) region. entire region including the significant differences that
are found within the region; in the natural environment
and in political, social and socioeconomic aspects.
2
Martin Fortier / ArcticNet. Community of Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
Socio-economic conditions Laying the foundations
This section gives an overview of socio-economic for adaptation
conditions in the BBDS region including the economy,
The report contain a wealth of material to assist decision-
demographic trends, the urbanization and the
makers to develop tools and strategies to adapt to future
infrastructure in the region. The report shows that the
changes. This section lists a number of overarching
Greenland and the Canadian side of the region have
informative and action-oriented elements for adaptation
different socio-economic starting points about how
and the science report gives more detailed information.
to adapt to future development.
Concluding remarks
The impacts of change
This section sums up and describes point to the fact that
Environmental changes and socio-economic factors adaptation is a complex issue and strategies to meet the
will have profound impacts on people living in the future need to reflect a broader context than climate
BBDS region, which will interact with each other in change alone. The report point to essential factors for
ways that will be complex and difficult to anticipate. adaptation and the relative importance of these will
The report describes such impacts for seven themes; vary depending on scale and context.
human health, education, non-living resources, living
resources, tourism, shipping and infrastructure.
3
Introduction
In 2011, the Arctic Council requested
the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment
Programme (AMAP) to: produce
information to assist local decision
makers and stakeholders in three pilot
regions in developing adaptation Bering -
Chukchi -
tools and strategies to better deal with Beaufort
Barents
climate change and other pertinent
environmental stressors.
Three regions, Baffin Bay/Davis Strait, This information, which combines 1 IPCC, 2014: Annex II: Glossary
Barents and Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort, scientific and available traditional and [Mach, K.J., S. Planton and
C. von Stechow (eds.)].
were chosen for an initial pilot phase. local knowledge, forms a knowledge
In: Climate Change 2014:
These three regions were chosen base that can be used to better Synthesis Report. Contribution
to provide a diverse range of socio- inform adaptation actions being of Working Groups I, II and III
to the Fifth Assessment Report
economic and ecological conditions, taken by the decision-makers. Thus,
of the Intergovernmental
as well as to include as many Arctic the AACA is truly an iterative process Panel on Climate Change.
Council nations as possible. between the stakeholder, scientific, IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland,
indigenous and local communities, pp. 117-130
Each of the three regional reports
focused on providing a sustained level
provides a scientific assessment
of updated information for a diverse
of the types and state of changes
array of local, regional, national and
within the specific regions, along
international audiences.
with a discussion of current levels
of change, and the related impacts, This overview report is based upon
effects and consequences of these the scientific assessment for the Baffin
changes, past, present and future. Bay/Davis Strait (BBDS) region.
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Difficulties in finding the most
appropriate actions to respond to
climate change are compounded
by the fact that climate is not
the only driver of change in the
region. A common feature is the
need to build flexibility and adjust
to increasing variability and new
extremes considering the cumulative
impacts of weather or/and other
socio-economic drivers.
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Lawrence Hislop / www.grida.no/resources/1087. Uummannaq, Greenland
While Nunavut and Greenland share a range of qualitatively On the Greenland side, open water south of Disko Bay (usually
similar challenges, they must also engage in adaptation with unconsolidated ice), a productive ecosystem, and deep-
actions from two very different points of departure. water ports, allow for an intensive fishery, carried out both
Most notably there are important differences in terms of with modern trawlers in the offshore waters and smaller boats
demography, distribution of population, migration, degree of and dinghies in the inshore parts. This industry has been the
industrialization and infrastructure that mean that Greenland main vehicle of a comprehensive industrialization that has
and Nunavut may have different adaptation priorities. transformed Greenlandic society dramatically since the 1960s.
However, it does not sustain the entire Greenlandic economy
The majority of the population of the BBDS is Inuit. The
and a primary concern for the Greenlandic self-government
Greenlandic population in the region is approximately
is how to ensure current standards of modern welfare and
52,500, more than twice the population of the Nunavut side,
further economic growth and independence e.g. by means
of around 19,500. With approximately 17,000 inhabitants
of economic diversification.
Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, is double the size of Iqaluit,
the largest town in Nunavut, with approximately 7,500 On the Nunavut side, marine resources are generally exploited
inhabitants. The population on the Nunavut side is also on a subsistence harvest basis, and mining plays a large role,
distributed among far fewer communities (nine) compared constituting 18% of Nunavuts gross domestic product in 2014.
with the Greenlandic side (64 towns and settlements). Employment is largely provided by the Federal and Territorial
governments, tourism and mineral exploration. Traditional
6
have access to a more developed The differences in the natural
air- and sea-based transport and environment are mainly governed by
communication infrastructure. the sea surface currents, which brings
relatively warm water from the Atlantic
Nunavuts Qikiqtaaluk Region offers
up along the West Greenland coast.
primary, secondary and post-secondary
This has a profound influence on the
education, but there is no university in
sea ice conditions, where a large part
the Canadian Arctic. School graduation
of West Greenland remains ice free or
rates in Nunavut are slowly improving
without consolidated ice throughout
but, at 57 per cent, remain the lowest
the year allowing navigation even in
in Canada. Greenland offers a range
winter. In contrast to this, the Nunavut
of secondary, college and university
side is blocked by sea ice often until
education, and the trend here is also
mid-summer.
towards improved levels of education;
the number of Greenlandic youth with Terrestrial mammals on the Greenland
a completed education above primary side of the region include fox, hare,
school has increased by 6 percent to and caribou. Wolves, stoats, muskoxen
around 15,000 persons, (or 34 per cent and lemming are also found in the
of the population) from 2003 to 2013 northernmost part of the region. On
activities such as hunting, trapping, the Canadian side, the number of
The Baffin Bay Davis Strait region is
fishing and gathering, as well as arts mammal species is higher, with the
largely made up of mountains and
and crafts, are important for providing occurrence of an additional species of
open tundra, with sparse vegetation.
households with food, income and a lemming, the wolverine Gulo gulo, and
The Nunavut side is classified as
connection with the environment. seven distinct caribou herds.
continuous permafrost, while the
Infrastructure is a shared challenge Greenlandic side is considerably The marine environment supports
throughout the region. But towns, warmer, meaning that the ground in one of the most productive food
settlements and businesses in the the south is mainly seasonally frozen or webs in the Arctic, where upwelling
Greenlandic part of the region benefit discontinuous permafrost, while there along the continental shelf break on
from a stronger starting point as they is continuous permafrost further north. the Greenland side brings water and
nutrients from the deeper layers to the
surface. This attracts marine mammals
Alert and millions of seabirds. The marine
Ellesmere Island fauna is characterized by relatively few
Axel Heiberg
but well-adapted species, including
sin
Island Ba Greenland
ne seals. The benthic fauna is an exception
Ka
Qaanaaq
as the number of species is very high.
Grise Fiord Pituffik/Thule
The regional circulation of ocean
Resolute
Devon Island currents has a profound influence on
La n caster Sou Baffin Bay Upernavik
et
nd
Pond
the coastal climate, helping to create
Uummannaq
l
t In
Inlet
milder, low-Arctic conditions along
en
Nanisivik
Reg
Ilulissat
e
Clyde Qeqertarsuaq
Princ
Ungava Bay
Labrador Sea
production to begin earlier in spring
than in ice-covered water. Because of
Labrador Peninsula
year-round open water and abundance
Sanikiluaq of marine mammals, the BBDS is
attractive to Inuit hunters.
Figure 2: West
TheGreenland
BBDS study area
Qikiqtaaluk area inside BBDS region Qikiqtaaluk area outside BBDS region Marine areas outside BBDS region
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Socio-economic conditions
The ability of people within the BBDS region to adapt to the effects of change
depends both on the magnitude and speed of the environmental changes
they face as well as on socio-economic factors, some of which will, in turn,
be inuenced by climate change.
Foremost among them is the economy, which is challenging Nunavuts economy grew between 2011 and 2014, before
in the BBDS region. After strong growth in the 2000s, shrinking in 2014-15. It is expected to embark upon a
Greenlands economy dipped between 2011 and 2012, and prolonged period of economic growth, driven by fisheries
was flat over 2012-14, before growing slightly in 2015-16. and tourism. Mining offers potential for major capital
Prospects beyond the existing fisheries-based economy are investment, while infrastructure projects are also set to
uncertain. Declines in global commodity markets means that be a major contributor to growth.
earlier optimism about the prospects for the oil and mining
Economic factors will also weigh on demographic trends
sectors is fading, although there are several licensing rounds
in the region. Where birth rates are high In Greenland,
and mining projects underway. There is scope for increasing
net outmigration has kept the population somewhat
value added in fisheries and tourism, but these activities are
constant, while in Nunavut, high birth rates are likely to
not likely in themselves to have a decisive growth impact
continue the Nunavut trend towards a young and rapidly
unless challenges to tourism development are overcome.
growing population.
The Greenland economy is based primarily on fishing,
Two factors could lead to population inflows: resource
supplemented by tourism and mineral extraction (totalling
development and, for Nunavut, devolution of government
approximately 3 billion DKK), and the balance supported
institutions. Both would likely lead to more non-Inuit moving
by a block grant from Denmark, (of 3.64 billion DKK), with
to the region. However, in the resource extraction sector,
earned income.
common practice on the Canadian side is to fly workers in
and out, leading to limited permanent immigration of labor
(but also less local economic benefit). Greenland also plans to
fly in workers for its developing mining industry.
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Photo: Peter Prokosch/ www.grida.no/resources/4473. Pond Inlet, Canada
Other demographic factors are also at work, including identifies key actions such as improving air links,
urbanization. Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, has seen developing strategic deep-water ports, connecting
its population steadily grow (by 8.3% between 2006 and communities to resources and responding to the effects
2011 according to Statistics Canada) and this trend is likely of climate change that will facilitate access to economic
to continue. In Greenland, Nuuk, the capital, has seen a opportunities and put Nunavut on an equal footing with
similar pattern, with its population growing 12% between the rest of Canada.
2010 and 2016, although the number of people living in
Greenland is seeing steadily improving connectedness.
settlements and small towns has declined by almost one
The transportation infrastructure is relatively well
third since 1999.
developed with, currently, two international airports, a
Meanwhile, connectivity with the rest of the world network of domestic airports expanding to most towns,
influences both economic opportunity and social ports in all major towns and seasonal passenger vessels
outcomes. The Canadian side of the BBDS is poorly connecting Southwest Greenland towns. A port authority
connected to the rest of the world, with no deep-sea port, is planned to represent 13 ports, including Nuuk, Aasiaat,
and only one regional airport able to accommodate the and Sisimiut, facilitating industry and the transportation
types of jet typically used for international flights. Mobile of goods. In 2009, the cities of Nuuk and Qaqortoq were
phone service is limited, and Internet access is via satellite, connected to the Internet through a fiber cable running
and can be very slow and unreliable. Internet access could to Iceland and Canada. The remainder of the west coast
become much faster in parts of the Qikiqtaaluk region if is connected to the Internet through a 1410 km chain of
the Arctic Fibre project an underwater fibre optic cable radio stations and the east coast and northern part of the
that will eventually run from Japan to the UK proceeds Greenlandic west coast is connected via satellite. Even
according to plan. many isolated households have satellite-based internet.
risks, challenges, and opportunities to the health near-surface air temperatures are
projected to increase in winter by
and well-being of both humans and ecosystems. about 1 to 4 C by 2030 and 1.5 to 10C
Synthesizing the understanding of the changes in by 2080. Summer air temperatures
the Arctic climate with other changes in society are projected to increase 0.5 to 2 C
The Earths climate is warming due The climate projections for the Projections of total precipitation (i.e.
to anthropogenic greenhouse gas BBDs region are generally based on rain and snow) show an increase over
emissions and will continue to do so multi-model assessments for the most areas, with the largest relative
throughout the century. In common entire BBDS region. In addition to changes in winter in the northwestern
with other parts of the Arctic, the this, both parts of the region have parts of the region.
climate of the BBDS is undergoing produced regional climate data sets,
It is difficult to reach clear conclusions
rapid change. Recent and continuing specifically a report for Greenland
about wind speed trends in the
rises in temperature are driving based on downscaling with the Danish
BBDS region; adaptation plans should
significant impacts and effects to Meteorological Institute climate
consider 5% changes in mean wind
the Arctic cryosphere and oceans, model system, and the Ouranos CRCM.
speed for the period 2016-35, and
which is in turn having consequences However, the climate data sets for
10% changes for 2080-99.
on ecosystems and the regions Greenland and the Canadian side are
human inhabitants. somewhat different and therefore
difficult to compare.
DEFINING RCP
In the RCP-4.5 scenario (RCP= Representative
Concentration Pathways), reductions in emissions lead
to stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the
atmosphere by 2100 and a stabilized end-of-century
global average temperature rise of 1.73.1C above
pre-industrial levels. RCP-8.5 is a high-emission business-
as-usual scenario, leading to a global non-stabilized
temperature rise of 3.86C by 2100.
10
Higher temperatures will lead to later The sea-surface temperature in the Globally, sea-levels are expected to
snowfall, reducing the number of Baffin Bay is expected to warm by rise by 36 to 71cm this century under
days of snow cover by the end of the about 0.2C per decade over the next the baseline scenario (RCP4.5), but in
21st century between 40 and 60 days, 50 years, and will become less saline the BBDS region, they are likely to fall,
with reductions more pronounced in as a result of increased precipitation with a range of +10 to -90cm. This is
coastal areas. and ice melt run-off. This is expected due to a combination of the decreased
to reduce convection depth in winter gravitational pull of a shrunken
Maximum snow depths on the
and increase stability during the ice- ice sheet, and crustal uplift, as the
Canadian side of the BBDS have
free months. The largest reductions land rises as the weight of the ice
decreased by an average of 20%
in sea ice cover (15-20% by 2080) are sheet diminishes.
since 1950.
expected during fall and are related
The overall picture for the BBDS over
Permafrost is projected to warm the to later freeze-up, while a decrease in
the next century shows some general
most in the coldest areas of the BBDS sea ice cover of 10-15% is expected
trends: the atmosphere will be warmer
region, and to thaw considerably in in spring due to earlier break-up.
and wetter with uncertain changes to
warmer areas such as southwestern Winter ice thickness is projected to
the winds; the snow cover period will
Greenland. decrease by around 20-30cm during
be shortened, with decreased snow
this century, with the largest decreases
Ice sheets in the region are projected depth, while the melting of ice sheets
in more northerly regions.
to lose mass in the 21st century, with is expected to continue; sea ice will
increased melt run-off expected continue to decrease substantially;
to double or triple in amount and and changes in ocean circulation and
thus outweighing the effects of any mixing are uncertain, but sea level
potential increase in snowfall. will fall regionally (but rise globally).
There is a significant range of possible
Projections from current climate conditions and related effects owing
models indicate lake ice will form 5-10 to both uncertainty in what scenario
days later by 2050, and break-up will will most closely approximate actual
occur 10-15 days earlier compared future global emissions as well as
with the late 20th Century. uncertainties in the models and their
outputs. Adaptation planning will
need to continue to account for these
uncertainties and the related range of
plausible future conditions.
11
The impacts of change
Environmental changes and socio-economic factors will have profound
impacts on people living in the BBDS region, and which will interact with
each other in ways that will be complex and difficult to anticipate. Based
upon feedback from stakeholders, the BBDS regional report focused
on seven themes: human health; education; non-living resources; living
resources; tourism; shipping; and infrastructure.
12
affect locally harvested foods. Industrial developments can also Shipping
directly conflict with harvesting activities. However, long-range
Less sea ice in the region is extending the navigable season
pollution from the industrialized world, especially mercury,
for shipping, creating opportunities for new shipping
is the most significant pollution threat at present to locally
routes, increasing accessibility for larger fishing and cruise
harvested foods in the region.
ships, and increasing the viability of northern ports. These
The management of living resources within the BBDS will changes have the potential to facilitate mining and oil
be a significant mediator of the impacts of climate change, and gas development by reducing shipping costs and
in that it will enable economic opportunities to be seized improving accessibility, and could provide opportunities
that will offset some of the negative effects of change, for economic development in BBDS communities, as well
benefitting local communities and the Greenlandic and as improving the ability of delivering supplies, especially
Nunavut economies at large. in Nunavut where the seasonal sealift is the main access-
route with a limited ice free window for operation.
Tourism
Although changing sea-ice extent is recognised as a driver
As with resource extraction, the development of tourism
for future shipping, it is a relatively minor determinant of
within the BBDS region will be dictated by the strength of
change compared to industry and market constraints, as
the global economy, and demand for the sort of tourism
well as geopolitics, including the deepening of the Panama
available in the region. Sea-ice retreat has already enabled
Canal (in 2016) and of the Suez Canal (deepening in 2009,
rapid growth in marine tourism, and a niche market in last
doubling in 2016).
chance tourism is developing.
Again, increased marine traffic will increase risks to ships
However, negative impacts include risks involved with the
from ice and other marine hazards, although, on the
industry expanding into largely uncharted regions, with
Greenland side, pilotage is requested for ships with more
associated dangers of accidents occurring. The absence of
than 250 passages. The associated noise and pollution will
a central authority for governing the cruise ship industry,
also add to stresses faced by ecosystems in the region.
a lack of guidelines for operations, other logistical and
financial barriers, and environmental challenges may also Infrastructure
limit the sectors growth.
The impacts on housing, municipal and industrial building,
On the other hand, new regulation, namely the IMO Polar and transport infrastructure in the region will mainly be
Code entered into force in 2017. Access to the National from permafrost thaw, changing patterns of precipitation,
Park in Northeast Greenland and access to the inland ice and increased incidence of extreme weather, for example
is already regulated. Further to this, activities related to the effects of more frequent ice storms on electrical wires.
tourism in Greenland are regulated in accordance with Coastal erosion and changes in sea level also are likely to
new tourism concession legislation focusing on local impact infrastructure in the region, and falling relative sea
involvement and socioeconomic aspects. Supporting levels caused by reduced icecap mass could potentially
infrastructure is under development, with the construction leave ports stranded.
of a new deep-water harbor in Nuuk and international
airports planned at Nuuk and Ilulissat.
change in the Arctic. The following adaptation can be integrated or mainstreamed into policy
making and practical planning remains limited. There is also
presents key foundational elements a need for more usable knowledge on how to adapt, and
that decision makers should consider limited research exploring and prioritizing response options.
in their work on adaptation: the Adaptation options cross scales, from personal and household
initial five elements are intended to decisions, to community/local, national and international
be informational; the last five offer levels, with actions at one level often influenced, constrained,
14
Policy development also needs
often a third language. Better language skills would allow Initiatives that help maintain and revitalize traditional
people in the region to take advantage of distant learning and local knowledge, such as culture camps, cultural
and working opportunities created by technological events that support a sense of place, and school
advances, find work in tourism or for international programing, are important to ensure traditional and local
resources companies or, indeed, enable migration as an knowledge is passed on to younger generations, helping
adaption option. to build resilience to the challenges facing northern
communities, including climate change.
Promotion of and support for traditional and local
knowledge is also important. Climate change is undermining Maintaining and strengthening social networks is in
some aspects of this knowledge, such as the ability to general important in adapting to change. Maintaining
forecast weather conditions and predict animal migrations. traditional and local knowledge, as well as local
However, it is making other traditional skills even more involvement in wildlife management, and community-
important such as the ability to identify hazard precursors, led initiatives to address social problems can all help to
survival skills and knowledge of animal behavior. Anticipated strengthen these networks.
changes in the BBDS region therefore supports arguments
More broadly, it is widely recognized that communities
for more culturally relevant schooling in Greenland and
and decision-makers need to be engaged in adaptation
Nunavut, and for alternative approaches to strengthening
research, planning and implementation. Engaging
the passing on of traditional and local knowledge.
stakeholders, in a sustained way, is essential for
adaptation in the BBDS region.
STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY Approaches to adaptation need to take into account the
INVOLVEMENT, SOCIAL NETWORKS AND scale and impacts of anticipated developments, which
implies the involvement of affected communities and the
TRADITIONAL AND LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
relevant governance structures. The understanding of
OFFER SOURCES OF RESILIENCE IN THE the problems to be tackled, and the cultural, political and
FACE OF CHANGE socio-economic context in which they are addressed, will
inevitably influence decisions about adaptation actions.
Traditional knowledge underpins many aspects of
It is therefore evident that approaches to adaptation in
community life and culture. It can play a vital role in
the BBDS region need to take into account community
helping communities, households and individuals
concerns and traditional and local knowledge and
adapt to change.
cultural values.
The evolution and transmission of traditional knowledge is
being threatened. While economic development is strongly
desired by many people within the region, it provides
alternative livelihoods that are less connected to the land,
urbanization weakens links with the environment, and
connections between young and old are becoming weaker.
16
The following are action-oriented statements based on the findings in the BBDS regional science report
MANAGEMENT ARE services, such as carbon storage and species, and should take into account
nutrient recycling. critical areas for various life stages
NECESSARY TO PROTECT
(breeding, feeding, roosting, molting).
BIODIVERSITY IN THE Limited long-term monitoring data,
Such areas include significant polynyas,
BBDS REGION and the effects of other intervening
such as Pikialasorsuaq/North Water
factors, make it difficult to assess
Polynya, and important areas of
All major activities in the region the impact of climate change
resilient multi-year sea ice.
whether traditional hunting and on ecosystems, biodiversity and
fishing, commercial fishing, tourism, population size for many species. Given the scale of forecasted changes
shipping and even extractive Recovery from overexploitation, or that will often result in substantial
industries rely on healthy changing harvest or management habitat displacements in the Arctic, it
ecosystem functioning. practices may have a greater impact is important that protected areas are
on population size than climate large or flexible enough to safeguard
Commercial fisheries are of particular change. An exception is the High critical habitats for target populations.
economic importance to Greenland, Arctic zone, with its associated They should also be strategically
and commercial fisheries are also characteristic ecosystems. It is being selected (i.e. forming ecological
expanding off the coast of Nunavut. pushed to the extreme north, with networks of sites) and actively
Meanwhile, terrestrial and marine its habitats at risk of disappearing managed in coordination with other
living resources are an important altogether, in a process that can only approaches that support the overall
part of the local culture. Their be slowed down by decisive global resilience of regional ecosystems and
harvest is an important supplement climate change mitigation efforts. species. In addition, management
to nutrition, clothing, and artistic plans will increasingly require
expression in coastal communities. Below the High Arctic, wise ecosystem
concerted action across borders,
BBDS communities also derive management can strengthen the
sectors and disciplines.
revenues from the sale of harvested capacity of the regions ecosystems to
goods and from visiting tourists adapt to change. This management
drawn by hunting and the unique should build on robust scientific
Arctic fauna. and traditional and local knowledge
about harvested or sensitive species
Photo: Knud Falk
17
There should also be a focus on are important for biodiversity and
ADDRESSING CURRENT increasing and improving data to local people for cultural and food
HEALTH VULNERABILITIES collection on the health of BBDS security reasons.
18
Shutterstock / Nuuk, Greenland
19
THERE IS A NEED FOR
BETTER LINKS BETWEEN
SCIENTISTS AND
DECISION MAKERS
Bryan & Cherry Alexander Photography / ArcticPhoto. Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada
assessing perceptions of climate
change impacts and adaptation with
resource industries (primarily mining)
has indicated that decision makers
responsible for designing, building,
maintaining and decommissioning
industrial infrastructure have limited
understanding of the likely impacts
of future climate changes, as well as
limited guidance on how to adjust
to the likely changes. These data
needs, among others, have been
requested by the sector at AACA
stakeholder meetings.
20
Meanwhile, public support is
POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IS NEEDED ON ADAPTATION, important in developing adaptation
AND GOVERNANCE NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED programs, especially where
adaptation actions involve taking
Political leadership is important sector plans, namely fishing and unpopular decisions. There is
in initiating adaptation processes. hunting, shipping, and agriculture, evidence that concerns about the
There have been good examples and, in 2015, decided to mainstream issue in the region are growing, and
of leadership from: lower levels climate change adaptation into there are examples of adaptation
of government within the BBDS sectoral planning. champions in communities
region; from the government and governments. However, an
Adaptation intervention and planning adaptation consciousness has yet
of Nunavut, which developed
is particularly effective when a single to emerge in all communities and
a strategic adaptation plan in
government agency takes the lead across all levels of government.
2011; from the Canadian federal
or an interagency group is created
government, with targeted funding
to oversee adaptation activities; Such support will also be required
for vulnerability assessments and
governments have an important to ensure that adaptation policies
adaptation planning; and from
role in coordinating action to ensure and programs are properly funded
Inuit organizations lobbying on
coherence, long-term planning, and this resourcing needs to be
climate change domestically and
and the integration of adaptation incorporated into baseline funding
internationally. The Greenland
into climate-sensitive policies to be effective.
government has focused integration
across government.
of climate change into relevant
21
Concluding remarks
The Arctic and the regions explored as part of the Nonetheless, the pilot study was able to examine
AACA project are complex systems undergoing rapid adaptation options for the BBDS, and specifically for the
environmental and societal change. It is evident that seven themes on which the BBDS report focused. For each
climate change is an important driver of change, but it is of these seven themes, it suggested structural/physical,
not the only one. Adaptation strategies should therefore social and institutional adaptations to help people within
reflect a broader context than climate change alone, the region respond to change.
considering social, economic and ecosystem factors.
To build readiness to adapt in the region, the report also
By integrating knowledge from many different fields of
notes six essential factors, the relative importance of
expertise, including traditional and local knowledge, and
which will vary depending on scale and context. These
across regions with large cultural diversity, multiple uses
are political leadership, institutional organization for
and users of local resources, and ambitious development
adaptation, local and regional leadership, the need
plans for the future, AACA has broken new ground. Using
for usable science, and sufficient funding and public
a multidisciplinary approach, applying this across wide
support for adaptation.
geographical and societal scales, and looking decades
ahead has been a challenge.
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In terms of specific adaptation processes, the report This AACA pilot study has shown that building shared
also identifies a range of tools that are available to help knowledge and understanding of cumulative and
guide decision makers. These include tools that focus on cascading impacts is key to developing effective policy
developed countries and urban areas, as well as those responses. However, as this has been a pilot project not
offered through the UN Framework Convention on all aspects of science to knowledge to decision-makers
Climate Change that are more generic. have been addressed. An even closer connection between
scientists, residents and decision-makers is needed.
In examining adaptation options for the BBDS, we should
Adaptation to change, and building adaptive capacity and
recognize that the worldviews of residents, officials, and
resilience, is an evolving and dynamic process, constantly
politicians will differ, and that this will affect the priority
responding to an increasing knowledge base as well as to
and relevance that they assign to any adaptation option.
the actual or expected effects of change. It is a learning
process, in which the Arctic Council and its working
groups can play a constructive role in future years.
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This document presents a summary overview of the scientific report
detailing the results of the Adaptation Actions for a Changing
Arctic (AACA) Baffin Bay/ Davis Strait (BBDS) regional pilot study
coordinated by AMAP. More detailed information on the results can
be found in the AACA 2017 science reports.
For more information, contact the AMAP Secretariat.
AMAP Secretariat
Gaustadallen 21
N-0349 Oslo
Norway
Cover image: iStock / Ilulissat, Greenland
Tel. +47 21 08 04 80
Fax +47 21 08 04 85
amap@amap.no
www.amap.no