Go back
Features


CDs

NNSL Logo .
 Email this articleE-mail this story  Discuss this articleOrder a classified ad Print window Print this page

Addressing climate change

Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services
Friday, June 15, 2007

FORT PROVIDENCE - Communities in the Deh Cho have been given a number of recommendations to work on over the next year as part of the outcome from the Dehcho Climate Change workshop.

From June 5-7 approximately 40 delegates from Deh Cho communities gathered in Fort Providence for the workshop that was offered by Ecology North in partnership with the Dehcho First Nations. The goal of the workshop was to look at what communities can do to prepare and help reduce the impacts of climate change, said Doug Ritchie, the program director for Ecology North.

During the workshop participants identified a number of initiatives that should be addressed in the next 12 months.

The projects include an interagency meeting with government agencies that do work related to the environment, particularly water monitoring. Communities are also being asked to expand their use of renewable energy and develop energy profiles. A challenge communities encounter is understanding the terminology used to discuss climate change, so language workshops might be organized on the subject, said Ritchie.

"There was a genuine desire to work on the issue and move ahead," said Ritchie.

While the short-term goals are positive, Ritchie nsaid some communities might not be able to work on them because they require funding. Funding would have to come from internal as well as external sources, he said.

The workshop was organized by Ecology North to keep the momentum on climate change discussions that were started during the climate change leadership summit held in Yellowknife in January, said Ritchie. The Deh Cho is the first region to receive a specialized workshop.

Climate change is having an effect in the Deh Cho, said Grand Chief Herb Norwegian.

"If you look at the water, the land there are a lot of bad things happening on our land," said Norwegian during a presentation at the workshop.

People in the region, especially elders, are seeing the changes first hand, he said. A lot of changes are being seen on the rivers and in fish quality, said Norwegian.

Norwegian advocated a unified approach to the problem by bringing together people locally and globally.

"If we really put out hearts and minds to it we have a lot of control in a way," he said.

Reviving some traditional practices is also one way to help because they create less greenhouse gases, said Ritchie. An example is eating more traditional foods because less energy is required to transport them here.

"Old ways and new ways have to be married together," he said.

Climate change is expected to have a number of larger effects on the Deh Cho.

Temperatures in the region are already 1.5 degrees above their historical baseline, said Bob Bromley, a founder of Ecology North.

Temperatures expected to rise

Temperatures are expected to rise another degree worldwide by the 2020s and an additional five degrees by the 2080s.

"That's a huge change in terms of ecosystems," said Bromley.

If temperatures rise globally by two degrees the permafrost line is expected to move north of Great Bear Lake. That could happen by 2050, said Bromley.

With the temperature change will also come new animal species and changes in the timing of breakup. Ice conditions and winter road season will change, effecting travel and supply shipments, said Bromley.

"Climate change is going to put new challenges on communities," said Ritchie.