New Publication: Climate change and Inuit health priorities

We are pleased to share our new commentary paper recently published in One Earth. This commentary was co-authored by Sherilee Harper (University of Alberta), Dalee Sambo Dorough (Inuit Circumpolar Council), Joanna Petrasek MacDonald (Inuit Circumpolar Council), Ashlee Cunsolo (Labrador Institute of Memorial University), and Nia King (Queen’s University).

In the commentary, we asked: if climate change is the “biggest health threat of the century,” what does this mean for regions experiencing the fastest warming on the planet?

Here are the key messages from our paper:

1) What are the Climate Change key risks to Inuit health?

Some key climate-health impacts include:

• Nutrition

• Foodborne illness

• Waterborne illness

• Mental health

• Health services

• Heat morbidity

• Injury and death

Key Inuit Climate-Health Risks Identified

Read the Article

2) What must be done to address climatechange health risks?

We called for Inuit self-determination in climate-health research, response & governance, with a focus on Inuit knowledge & Inuit-led research for a climate-resilient Inuit Nunaat.

Calls to Climate-Health Action

Read the Article

Article citation:

Harper, S.L., Sambo Dorough, D., Petrasek MacDonald, J., Cunsolo, A., & King, N. (2021). Climate change and Inuit health: Research does not match risks posed. One Earth, 4(12), 1656-1660.

New Publication! How do Inuit identify and use metrics that matter for climate change adaptation? Read more here!

Our new publication explores how Rigolet Inuit identify & use land-based observations for community-led, place-based climate change adaptation in the North.

This research was conducted in partnership with Inuit and was authored by Alex Sawatzky, Ashlee Cunsolo, Inez Shiwak, Charlie Flowers, Andria Jones-Bitton, Dan Gillis, Jacqueline Middleton, Michele Wood, and Sherilee Harper.

What are the key findings?

Key finding #1

Key finding #2

Key finding #3

Key finding #4

New Publication! How has the climate and health literature evolved since the last IPCC Assessment Report? Check out our main findings here!

How has climate change and health research in North America advanced since the last IPCC Assessment Report (AR5)? Read our new research recently published in Environmental Research to find out!

Congratulations to the entire author team: Sherilee Harper, Ashlee Cunsolo, Amreen Babujee, Shaugn Coggins, Etienne de Jongh, Tianna Rusnak, Carlee Wright, and Mauricio Domínguez Aguilar!

Here is a summary of our main findings.  

We used a scoping review approach to systematically identify and examine publication trends. We examined 56,000+ potentially relevant articles, of which 756 articles measured climate and health in North America since IPCC AR5.

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Urban heat-related and respiratory research in USA dominates the North American climate-health literature.

Gaps on previously neglected climate-health outcomes are beginning to be filled but are still under-researched, including mental health, nutrition, and foodborne disease.

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Most research focused on climate-health impacts – less focused on adaptation & mitigation. 

Geographical research inequities exist, including research gaps in Canada and Mexico, and in rural and remote regions.

Importantly, we found a significant decrease in climate-health research in Canada since IPCC AR5, which highlights a concerning trend.

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 We observed progress in future projections of climate-health risks - but projection research is still under-studied for many climate-sensitive health outcomes in North America, and would benefit from considering social and demographic variables in models. 

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Based on current climate-health evidence gaps, transdisciplinary and cross-sector research, that includes the social sciences, examining current and future climate-health adaptation, mitigation, and the adaptation-mitigation nexus should become a top priority for research, given the urgent need for this evidence to inform climate change policies, actions, and interventions.

New Publication! Global review of climate change, resilience, and Indigenous knowledge

A new paper led by James Ford, and co-authored by CCGH team members Nia King and Sherilee Harper, was just published in One Earth. The article, titled “The Resilience of Indigenous Peoples to Environmental Change” examines how issues of sovereignty, power, social justice, development, and history impact the resilience of Indigenous peoples to environmental change globally.

Citation: Ford, J. D., King, N., Galappaththi, E. K., Pearce, T., McDowell, G., & Harper, S. L. (2020). The Resilience of Indigenous Peoples to Environmental Change. One Earth, 2(6), 532-543. Access the article here (free open-access)

New Publication! Climate change, water and human health research in the Arctic

We are excited to share a new publication, “Climate change, water and human health research in the Arctic” recently published in a Water Security special issue on water, adaptation and resilience.

The article was authored by Sherilee Harper, Carlee Wright, Stephanie Masina, and Shaugn Coggins.

What trends in the literature did the review uncover?

Article citation:

Harper, S. L., Wright, C., Masina, S., & Coggins, S. (2020). Climate change, water, and human health research in the Arctic. Water Security, 10, 100062. Click here to access the article (free open-access).

New Publication! Characterizing climate change impacts on Indigenous peoples' mental health

Congratulations to Jacqueline Middleton for her recent publication, entitled “Indigenous mental health in a changing climate: a systematic scoping review of the global literature”, published in Environmental Research Letters.

Indigenous Peoples globally are among those who are most acutely experiencing the mental health impacts of climate change; however, little is known about the ways in which Indigenous Peoples globally experience climate-sensitive mental health impacts and outcomes, and how these experiences may vary depending on local socio-cultural contexts, geographical location, and regional variations in climate change. Thus, in this article, Jacqueline examined the extent, range, and nature of published research investigating the ways in which global Indigenous mental health is impacted by meteorological, seasonal, and climatic changes.

What did we find?

Citation:

Middleton, J., Cunsolo, A., Jones-Bitton, A., Wright, C.J., Harper, S.L., 2020. Indigenous mental health in a changing climate: a systematic scoping review of the global literature. Environ. Res. Lett. 15, 053001.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab68a9

Inuit are the best scientists to monitor Arctic climate change

New Publication!

“The best scientists are the people that’s out there”: Inuit-led integrated environment and health monitoring to respond to climate change in the Circumpolar North

What was the article about?

An article led by Dr. Alexandra Sawatzky, Rigolet Inuit, and others characterized how Inuit have monitored the environment for centuries, and how this extends to climate change monitoring and response today.

What were the Key Messages from the Article?

Why is Inuit-led monitoring important amidst unprecedented climate change in the North? This article documented, that for Inuit in Rigolet:

A summary of the key messages:

Here is a visual summary of why Inuit-led monitoring is important for Rigolet Inuit to adapt to climate change:

Want to access the article?

You can view the PDF of our article on Inuit-led environment-health monitoring to adapt to climate change in Rigolet here: https://rdcu.be/b0H8w

Citation: Sawatzky, A., Cunsolo, A., Jones-Bitton, A., Gillis, D., Wood, M., Flowers, C., Shiwak, I. and Harper, S.L., (2020). “The best scientists are the people that’s out there”: Inuit-led integrated environment and health monitoring to respond to climate change in the Circumpolar North. Climatic Change, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-019-02647-8

Why does monitoring matter in the context of rapid climate change?

The Inuit community of Rigolet, Nunatsiavut have been working for the past several years on developing a monitoring system to adapt to the health impacts of climate change. As part of this work, Rigolet Inuit defined why monitoring matters in the context of rapid change, and why it’s essential to adapt in ways that are grounded in Inuit values and knowledges.

This handout was created by Dr. Alex Sawatzky to summarize the key findings from her PhD project; it illustrates the main reasons why Inuit-led monitoring matters in Rigolet, and what it needs to include for meaningful, effective climate change adaptation. Alex created and shared these handouts with community partners in Rigolet her during a trip this past spring.

Chatelaine Magazine: Warming Oceans Impact Our Health

There has been a lot of buzz about the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate that was recently released.

As one of the Lead Authors of this Special Report, Sherilee Harper was recently interviewed by Chatelaine Magazine to discuss how a warming ocean impacts all of our health.

Read more about the IPCC Special Report here!

Award Winning Poster: Steven Lam

The next poster highlighted in our Award Winning Poster Series, is a poster that was presented by Steven Lam at the Canadian Evaluation Society’s 40th annual conference in Halifax, Canada.

Steven’s poster won the "People's choice poster award”.

Congratulations Steven!

Award Winning Poster

Canadian Evaluation Society 2019

See Steven's Award Winning Poster Here!

See more award winning posters here!

How is community-based monitoring used to support Indigenous food security in a changing climate? Read our new publication to find out!

Congratulations to Steven Lam for his new publication….

Climate change is expected to exacerbate existing food security challenges, especially in Indigenous communities worldwide. Community-based monitoring (CBM) is considered a promising strategy to improve monitoring of, and local adaptation to climatic and environmental change. Yet, it is unclear how this approach can be applied in food security or Indigenous contexts. Therefore, this paper examined how community-based monitoring is used to support Indigenous food security in a changing climate. We found that monitoring was either collaborative (51%) or externally-driven (37%), and focused primarily on tracking wildlife (29%), followed by natural resources (16%), environmental change (15%), and fisheries (13%).

Abstract

Climate change is expected to exacerbate existing food security challenges, especially in Indigenous communities worldwide. Community-based monitoring (CBM) is considered a promising strategy to improve monitoring of, and local adaptation to climatic and environmental change. Yet, it is unclear how this approach can be applied in food security or Indigenous contexts. The objectives of this paper are to: (1) review and synthesize the published literature on CBM of Indigenous food security; and, (2) identify gaps and trends in these monitoring efforts in the context of climate change. Using a systematic search and screening process, we identified 86 published articles. To be included, articles had to be published in a journal, describe a CBM system, describe any aspect of food security, and explicitly mention an Indigenous community. Relevant articles were thematically analyzed to characterize elements of CBM in the context of climate change. Results show that the number of articles published over time was steady and increased more than two-fold within the last five years. The reviewed articles reported on monitoring mainly in North America (37%) and South America (28%). In general, monitoring was either collaborative (51%) or externally-driven (37%), and focused primarily on tracking wildlife (29%), followed by natural resources (16%), environmental change (15%), fisheries (13%), climate change (9%), or some combination of these topics (18%). This review provides an evidence-base on the uses, characteristics, and opportunities of CBM, to guide future food security monitoring efforts in the context of climate change.

Citation

Lam, S., Dodd, W., Skinner, K., Papadopoulos, A., Zivot, C., Ford, J., Garcia, P.J., IHACC Research Team, Harper, S.L. (2019). Community-based monitoring of Indigenous food security in a changing climate: Global trends and future directions. Environmental Research Letters. 14: 073002. Click here to access the article (free open-access)

Canada Research Chair in Climate Change and Health

Sherilee Harper was recently awarded a Canada Research Chair. Canada Research Chairs are awarded to “world-class scientists and scholars from diverse backgrounds who are working on new discoveries and innovations that help our environment, health, communities and economy thrive.” The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, recently announced the new Canada Research Chairs, which are funded by the Government of Canada.

As a Canada Research Chair in Climate Change and Health, Dr. Harper will conduct research focusing on “adaptation strategies to protect health in Inuit communities.”

Canada Research Chair

Climate Change and Health

Learn more here

Metrics that Matter: Award Winning Poster by Alexandra Sawatzky

In our series on award winning posters, we are pleased to share another poster created and presented by the talented Dr. Alex Sawatzky. In this poster, Alex presents research that she conducted in collaboration with Rigolet Inuit to examine Inuit-identified metrics for monitoring and responding to climate change in the Circumpolar North.

Alex presented this poster at the 2018 ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting, and won the poster prize - for the third year in a row!

Congratulations Alex!

Award Winning Poster

2018 ArcticNet ASM

See Alex's Award Winning Poster Here!

See more award winning posters here!

Award Winning Poster: Alexandra Sawatzky's Literature Review

As part of our series on award winning poster presentations, it is pleasure to share a poster presented by Alex. At the 2017 ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting, Dr. Alex Sawatzky presented the results of her literature review about integrated environment and health surveillance in the Circumpolar North. Her poster won a poster prize at the conference, and this work has been published since then (click here to access the free article).

Congratulations Alex!

Award Winning Poster

2017 ArcticNet ASM

See Alex's Award Winning Poster Here!

See more award winning posters here!

National Science Assessment: Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate 2021

About the Assessment Report

The World Health Organization has identified climate change as the greatest threat to global health and to health systems in the 21st Century. Climate change risks to the health of Canadians are increasing and many impacts are already being observed.  Using the latest evidence, and engaging experts from across the country, the Government of Canada is conducting a climate change and health assessment, which is expected to be released in the summer of 2021. The report, Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate: Advancing our Knowledge for Action, will provide an assessment of the risks of climate change to the health of Canadians and the health care system. It will also support actions by health decision makers at local, provincial/ territorial and national levels, as well as those who work in public health, health care, emergency management, research and community organizations. 

Sherilee Harper is a Lead Author working on the Food Security and Food Safety Chapter in this report. Additionally, team members Amreen Babujee and Katharine Neale have been providing research support on this Chapter.

Assessment Timelines

Learn more about the Assessment:

Visit the website to learn more https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/environment/impacts-adaptation/21189

Crystal Presents at the Canadian Nutrition Society Conference

Crystal Gong recently returned from the Canadian Nutrition Society conference in Niagara Falls.

Crystal presented her systematic scoping review of the climate change and nutrition literature in the North. Her review aimed to answer the question: how does food security and nutrition research enhance our understanding of climate change impacts and adaptation?

Crystal Noted,

“It was an amazing experience having the opportunity to connect with students studying diverse research topics across the nutritional sciences and listening to talks from the pioneers of maternal nutrition research. Leaving the national meeting for the Canadian Nutrition Society held at the Sheraton in Niagara Falls I felt bright-eyed and hopeful for the future of nutrition.”

How can technology support community-led monitoring in a changing climate? Read our new article to find out!

We are excited to share our recent publication on the need for community-led, integrated and innovative monitoring programmes when responding to the health impacts of climate change in the Circumpolar North.

How does climate change impact health in rural and remote regions in Canada?

It's our pleasure to share our new publication, which provides a synthesis of the forthcoming first order draft of the Canadian Government’s National Assessment on Climate Change ‘Rural and Remote’ chapter, highlighting key health concerns from the literature associated with climate change in rural and remote regions, as well as existing and future adaptation strategies.

Award Winning Poster: Jacqueline Middleton

Congratulations to Jacqueline Middleton for winning the poster prize at the Labrador Research Forum in Happy Valley - Goose Bay in May 2019!

In Jacquie’s poster, she explores the role of community-identified metrics and modifiers that matter in a changing climate.

Award Winning Poster

Labrador Research Forum 2019

See Jacquie's Award Winning Poster Here!

Check out more award winning posters here.

How can integrated health & environmental monitoring support climate change adaptation? Check out our new publication to find out!

Congratulations to Alexandra Sawatzy on her recent publication. Alex reviewed integrated surveillance used for responding to climate and environmental change impacts on human health in the Circumpolar North. The article can be accessed, for free, at: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/12/2706

Key Messages:

Key Message 1:

The wide range and diversity of integrated surveillance systems described in the literature can help guide and target evidence-based public health responses in support of climate change adaptation in the North.

Key Message 2:

2: Findings offer insight into how these systems can be designed to be more responsive to public health concerns within rapidly shifting Northern environments.

What are key components of integrated surveillance?

Recommendations & Next Steps:

Article citation:

Sawatzky, A., Cunsolo, A., Jones-Bitton, A., Middleton, J., Harper, S.L. (2018). Responding to Climate and Environmental Change Impacts on Human Health via Integrated Surveillance in the Circumpolar North: A Systematic Realist Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health.15(12), 2706. Click here to access the article (free open-access)

Abstract:

Environments are shifting rapidly in the Circumpolar Arctic and Subarctic regions as a result of climate change and other external stressors, and this has a substantial impact on the health of northern populations. Thus, there is a need for integrated surveillance systems designed to monitor the impacts of climate change on human health outcomes as part of broader adaptation strategies in these regions. This review aimed to identify, describe, and synthesize literature on integrated surveillance systems in Circumpolar Arctic and Subarctic regions, that are used for research or practice. Following a systematic realist review approach, relevant articles were identified using search strings developed for MEDLINE® and Web of Science™ databases, and screened by two independent reviewers. Articles that met the inclusion criteria were retained for descriptive quantitative analysis, as well as thematic qualitative analysis, using a realist lens. Of the 3431 articles retrieved in the database searches, 85 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Thematic analysis identified components of integrated surveillance systems that were categorized into three main groups: structural, processual, and relational components. These components were linked to surveillance attributes and activities that supported the operations and management of integrated surveillance. This review advances understandings of the distinct contributions of integrated surveillance systems and data to discerning the nature of changes in climate and environmental conditions that affect population health outcomes and determinants in the Circumpolar North. Findings from this review can be used to inform the planning, design, and evaluation of integrated surveillance systems that support evidence-based public health research and practice in the context of increasing climate change and the need for adaptation.

The article can be accessed, for free, at: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/12/2706