Human health and wellbeing of Arctic populations were discussed at a recent international scientific and practical conference on Prevention and Management of Emergencies under the auspices of the Arctic Council’s Working Group on Emergency Prevention, and Preparedness and Response (EPPR). The conference took place in Anadyr, Chukotka, in August 2009, and was hosted by EMERCOM (Ministry of Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters). At the conference it was pointed out that northern residents and especially the Indigenous Peoples’ health and wellbeing are being challenged by climate and environmental changes and by man-made and natural disasters as well as by increased economic development. PCB and DDT are accumulated in the Arctic and constitute a risk for human health and wellbeing. PCB’s and DDT are found in abandoned barrels and substances buried in the ground that get released as permafrost thaws. This situation calls for new issues to be included in emergency planning, Mr. V. Chashchin from Northwest Centre of Science Hygiene and Public Health explained. Introduction of new diseases, such as vector borne diseases from invasive species (e.g. ticks), is of concern as are other risks introduced to the northern areas due to climate change and global warming. Sound and quick emergency responses to these challenges are important if human health and wellbeing are not to be undermined – such was the general message proceeding from the EPPR event.

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Copenhagen - Representatives of Indigenous Peoples from across the Arctic are calling on Governments to work with them in tackling the "catastrophic" effects of Climate Change. Bill Erasmus, representing the Arctic Athabaskan Council in Canada, called the situation a "crisis" at a meeting of circumpolar Arctic Indigenous Peoples over the weekend (September 20 & 21). "The permafrost is melting, homes are destroyed, rivers are rising, lakes are disappearing, migratory patterns are changing, seasons are not the same anymore," said Erasmus. "Reindeer herders face the loss of herds, hunters face starvation, trappers are dying because they cannot read ice conditions anymore. People are losing their homes and their lives. Entire communities of Indigenous Peoples are at risk across the Arctic. I think use of the word 'crisis' is appropriate." The Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples Secretariat organized the meeting. This was the first of several planned meetings for Arctic Indigenous Peoples to compile information and develop recommendations to forward to the eight Nation States within the Arctic Council. Indigenous Peoples hope their work will lead to international initiatives that will deal with the human dimensions of Climate Change leading up to the Indigenous Peoples’ Global Summit on Climate Change to be held in Anchorage, Alaska, in April 2009.

by Clive Tesar Arctic Indigenous Peoples are engaging in two processes this week to advance climate change action. In Svolvaer, Norway, the Arctic Council meeting is considering future action including a study of materials that contribute to climate change that are not carbon dioxide. These other materials include soot, ozone, and methane. Meanwhile, other Arctic Leaders are attending a meeting of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples’ Issues. This week, the forum is focusing on climate change issues. Speaking on behalf of the Inuit Circumpolar Council and the Saami Council, Patricia Cochran told the Forum: "It is clear that in future COPs, the plight of Indigenous Peoples will not be addressed if they are not at the table and not involved in the decision-making. We call upon the United Nations to open the door to indigenous peoples in all matters affecting climate change." Ms. Cochran highlighted three recommendations to the Permanent Forum, and through the Permanent Forum to the wider UN community:

1. each UN agency that works on climate change matters should develop a special Arctic focal point for climate change;
2. the UNFCCC should develop a seat at the negotiating table specifically dedicated to Indigenous Peoples, in which we would have direct access to decision-makers and where we would be able to offer our knowledge in constructive ways;
3. All UN member states and agencies should include in their climate change strategies a screening mechanism that evaluates the impacts of mitigation measures themselves on Indigenous Peoples.

Back in Svolvaer, the indigenous leaders at the Arctic Council called on the Arctic states to adopt and promote these recommendations in dealing with United Nations processes. They also urged the Arctic states to ensure that the increasingly worrying projections for the Arctic climate are central to ongoing United Nations consideration of global action on climate change.

by Clive Tesar Canadian Inuit are opposing vigorous lobbying efforts to get the polar bear listed as “threatened” under the American Endangered Species Act. The US government has been considering the action since 2006. Now three conservation groups, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Greenpeace are threatening to sue the US government to get it to proceed with the listing. Canadian Inuit say the environmentalists are taking aim at the wrong target. Two organizations that represent Inuit in Canada are disagreeing with the tactic of using the polar bear to try to force the American government to take action on climate change. Duane Smith, the president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (Canada) says,

“I don’t see how listing it as threatened will complement the sustainability of the population. It is climate change that is the problem, not the sustainable hunting of polar bears.”

Some polar bears in Canada are currently hunted by American hunters, who pay well for the experience. The hunt brings more than one and half million dollars a year into small Inuit communities in the territory of Nunavut. The listing of polar bears would likely threaten that hunt, and the money it brings into the communities.

“Even with the sport hunts we use dog teams, a portion of tags also go toward subsistence harvesting, and we ensure that all the meat and other parts of the Polar Bear are fully utilized,”

says Smith.

“Our hunters and guides benefit economically and we are able to continue with our culture, enjoy the benefits of what we use, and ensure that this is done in a responsible and sustainable manner.”

At the moment, Inuit are convinced that polar bears are being hunted at sustainable levels. Whether or not that level of hunting will still be sustainable in the future, after the effects of climate change become more severe, remains to be seen. The bottom line is that stopping people from hunting polar bears now will not protect populations of polar bears in the future. Taking action on climate change now, on the other hand, will protect populations of polar bears in the future

By Patricia Cochran and Taito Nakalevu Three years ago, when a tsunami washed away the lives and livelihoods of people in South-east Asia, the rest of the world acted with commendable compassion. Tents, blankets and food were sent, reconstruction teams poured in, and people around the world sent millions of dollars to help. Now another devastating wave is threatening the lives and livelihoods of people globally - from the fringes of the Arctic to the Caribbean and the scattered islands of the South Pacific. This wave of global warming also brings devastation in its path, but it is moving so slowly that some people fail to recognize its destructive power. Arctic regions and small islands around the world are being hit hardest. No other region of the world is warming as fast or as much as the Arctic. Earlier this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change noted that Arctic ecosystems and habitats are vulnerable due to the speed and extent of change. The peoples of the Arctic who rely on the natural environment are vulnerable also. The IPCC says

Traditional ways of life are being threatened and substantial investments are needed to adapt or re-locate physical structures and communities.

Melting of previously frozen ground is causing havoc in some Arctic communities as roads, buildings, and pipelines sag and warp with the sudden thaw. New insect pests and diminishing ice are affecting entire populations of wildlife on which Arctic peoples rely. Seasoned hunters traveling traditional routes have been lost due to changes in ice and water that the hunters can no longer predict. The small islands of the world are also particularly vulnerable to the effects of change, as their finite land mass severely restricts their adaptation options. Projected changes in rainfall can bring extremes of drought and flood. The recent IPCC reports say extreme weather events are likely to become more frequent and severe as a result of climate change, causing damage and destruction to islands. Increasing sea surface temperatures will result in coral bleaching, destroying the reefs that now provide protection for many islands, and breeding places for the fish that feed many islanders. The most low-lying of the islands also have to deal with the threat of rising sea levels, projected to rise by about a metre this century. The island state of Tuvalu has already appealed to both Australia and New Zealand to take in its citizens. Given the similar levels of impact, peoples of the Arctic are working together with people in the small islands of the South Pacific, Caribbean and elsewhere to cooperate on ensuring that the moral imperative of taking action on climate change is heard. At the present meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change, this coalition – called Many Strong Voices – is asking for three things. First, we are asking countries to aim for a global agreement that keeps temperature increases as far below two degrees Celsius as possible. This will mean large reductions in the emission of greenhouse gases. The IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report clearly indicates that even if temperatures are kept below this level, vulnerable regions and countries, including the Arctic and Small Island Developing States will be severely affected by the inevitable impacts of climate change caused by past emissions. Second, we ask countries to be open to learning from the experiences of indigenous peoples and islanders on adaptation and to assist these communities in building upon their traditional knowledge in this area. Countries involved in the negotiations also need to appreciate that there are limitations to our capacity to adapt in the context of runaway climate change. Third, we are asking the world’s richest countries to help the vulnerable countries to adapt to change by providing an adequate financial and technical assistance. For the Small Island Developing States and other particularly vulnerable developing countries, this means living up to existing commitments and properly funding adaptation to the impacts of climate change. Arctic peoples need a commitment from their own countries to fund local adaptation efforts in the Arctic regions. Our peoples are not asking for your tents, your blankets, your reconstruction teams – but if the influential countries of the world do not avert disaster now, we may well need all of those things later. What we ask for is your help to deal with this entirely avoidable disaster. At this next meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom have the power to prevent this wave of devastation. We call on you to use that power. Patricia Cochran is the International Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council. Taito Nakalevu is the Climate Change Adaptation Officer for the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme.