Climate Change and Health & Well-Being: A Policy Primer for Canada's North

Introduction

Climate Change is already affecting Canada and the country's North will experience greater climatic changes than the other regions of the country. As the northern climate warms, there will be wide-ranging ecosystem impacts such as permafrost melting, changes in wildlife migration patterns and increases in sustainable fish and game harvests for some species. Across the country, northerners are building strong communities through an emphasis on new economic opportunities such as ecological and cultural tourism, while maintaining an emphasis on traditional activities such as hunting and fishing and the production of arts and crafts. The health & well-being of northern populations will be affected as people try to adapt to the climate by changing their traditional and cultural practices, and by attempting to maintain and expand the economic, social and health infrastructures required for a 21st century northern society. The complex, large-scale environmental changes which have already begun will require greater understanding and early adaptation measures, including in the public health sector.

As part of this effort, Health Canada has organized a Public Health Planning Workshop on Climate Change and Health & Well-being in the North (July 6-7, 2002) involving policy analysts and practitioners from federal health programs, territorial Ministries of Health, Aboriginal groups, community health programs, and health non-governmental organizations in the North.

The goal of the workshop is to build awareness of climate change and health issues among public health authorities in Canada's North, provide information about the development of Canada's Climate Change and Health Impact Assessment Guidelines and begin addressing priority health issues which will help the people living in northern communities successfully adapt to climate change. The purpose of this document is to provide participants of the workshop with information on some of the observed changes to local climates and ecosystems occurring in the North and the possible health effects of climate change for people residing in these communities and to begin discussions on potential public health adaptation measures.