68th Canadian Geotechnical Conference and 7th Canadian Permafrost Conference

HOW PERMAFROST THAW MAY IMPACT FOOD SECURITY OF JEAN MARIE RIVER FIRST NATION, NWT

Session: Northern Communities / Communautés nordiques

Fabrice Calmels, Yukon Research Centre - Yukon College (Canada)
Cyrielle Laurent, Watertight Solution (Canada)
Ryan Brown, Watertight Solution (Canada)
Frédérique Pivot, Athabasca University (Canada)
Margaret Ireland, Jean Marie River First Nation (Canada)

The Jean Marie River First Nation (JMRFN) assembled a project team to exchange traditional, local and scientific knowledge to produce maps showing the vulnerability of traditional use areas near Jean Marie River to permafrost thaw. Landscape changes driven by permafrost thaw have and will have considerable impacts on country food. The vulnerability hazard map resulting from this project is tailored to the needs of the JMRFN community, is culturally oriented and, when overlain with spatial traditional land use information, brings a new, integrated perspective regarding climate change impacts on the JMRFN. This project represents a prototype for future surveys with mapping aimed at identifying and quantifying the impacts of permafrost degradation from a broader and more holistic viewpoint that combines western science and traditional and local knowledge.