Emergency management must be central to climate change response in the North

Robust emergency management capabilities must be a central component of climate change response plans in the North. From wildfires to flooding to the expansion of cruise tourism, the affects and results of climate change continue to exacerbate the risks posed by a broad spectrum of natural and human-made hazards throughout the region. The risks are amplified by the presence of remote and isolated communities in austere environments, with small populations, vulnerable and ageing infrastructure, limited emergency resources, and minimal access to rapid external assistance. Reducing vulnerabilities to these risks requires investment across the disaster and emergency management spectrum of prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. While significant progress has been made to improve these capabilities from the local to the federal levels, critical gaps remain. Through various funding programs and cost-sharing agreements, the federal, territorial, Indigenous, and municipal governments have made headway on regional and local prevention, mitigation, and preparedness measures. On the response side, every year the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) leads Operation Nanook-Tatigiit, a whole-of-government exercise that practices co-operation and collaboration among key partners involved in northern disaster and emergency management—training that, in 2021, facilitated the CAF’s response to floods in the Yukon and the water crisis in Iqaluit. The CAF also bolsters local response and relief capabilities through the Canadian Rangers, who, given their presence, capabilities, and the relationships they enjoy within their communities, regularly support other government agencies during local emergencies and disasters. Meanwhile, the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) has made significant improvements to marine safety in the North by expanding the CCG Auxiliary in the Arctic, establishing an Inshore Rescue Boat station in Rankin Inlet, extending the operational season of its icebreakers, and engaging with Arctic expeditionary cruise stakeholders to better prepare for potential emergencies. Territorial, regional, municipal, and Indigenous governments have also taken important steps to improve their emergency management capabilities through the development of regional and community emergency plans, public awareness activities, hazard mapping, and the development of new EM organizations, such as Yukon First Nations Wildfire. These initiatives are a step in the right direction, but critical work remains, particularly in three key areas. First, the Newfoundland and Labrador Ground SAR Inquiry (which focused on Nunatsiavut) and recent academic work have highlighted the challenges facing community search and rescue (SAR) responders across the North: from increasing caseloads (often caused by the changing environment), to volunteer burnout, to difficulties working with federal partners, and slow response times from southern-based assets. The National Search and Rescue Secretariat should re-establish the Northern Search and Rescue Roundtable (2010-2016) to bring together responders and policymakers from the North and South to co-develop a Northern SAR Strategy (first proposed in 2006) that would comprehensively address these longstanding challenges. Secondly, as with southern provinces, the North lacks a disaster work force. While the CAF—both through Ranger patrols and southern-based units—provide an effective response, it does not do mitigation or recovery work and may not be able to meet all response requirements. Territorial governments should consider following the lead of other jurisdictions and establishing a full- or part-time pan-territorial disaster work force that could conduct prevention and mitigation measures year-round, while providing a surge capacity of human-power during emergencies and recovery operations. Finally, community-based emergency management positions are rare throughout much of the North—a major issue given the risks faced by northern communities. Full-time emergency managers or public safety officers in each community could assist with SAR prevention, preparedness, and response, marine safety, emergency plans and preparedness, and fire prevention. Such a program would provide a platform through which to mobilize existing community strengths, while providing the space to develop new capabilities. Creating and maintaining these positions would be costly, but they would generate considerable savings if they could, for instance, prevent SAR cases requiring an aerial response from the South. The federal government’s Arctic and Northern Policy Framework prioritizes bolstering “whole-of-society emergency management capabilities in Arctic and Northern communities” and “Search and Rescue reaction and responsiveness to emergencies for Arctic residents and visitors.” While much is being done to address the unique challenges climate change poses to the North, the scope and frequency of the hazards faced by remote communities requires sustained attention, new and equitable approaches, and, ultimately, government dollars. Peter Kikkert is the Irving Shipbuilding Chair in Arctic Policy in the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government and assistant professor in the public policy and governance program at St. Francis Xavier University. Working in partnership with community-based organizations, his current research program focuses on how to strengthen search and rescue, disaster and emergency management capabilities, and community disaster resilience in rural, remote, and northern communities. The Hill Times

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Emergency management must be central to climate change response in the North

From wildfires to flooding to the expansion of cruise tourism, the affects and results of climate change continue to exacerbate the risks posed by a broad spectrum of natural and human-made hazards throughout the region.

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