The Symposium Ouranos is a major event in Québec, which will bring together some 500 experts in the fields of climate sciences and adaptation to climate change. The objectives of the symposium are to present the latest projects results and the 2014-2019 programming, to foster networking and exchanges as well as to celebrate the 15thanniversary of Ouranos.
Nathan’s Role: In the Ouranos Symposium we presented a poster about utilizing System Network methods to assess vulnerability and adaptation in the Inuit Nunangat in northern Canada.
Resume Abstract
36-Advancing in vulnerability assessments through systems network: Inuit and climate change (.pdf)
Nathan S. Debortoli PhD. McGill University – Department of Geography, Climate Change Adaptation Research Group
Climatic Change (CC) is affecting Canadian polar regions abruptly, raising concerns about Inuit resilience and adaptation in the long term. Even though much has been done at the local level to understand vulnerability in “Inuit Nunangat”, few studies have integrated findings into a system network able to map Inuit exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. In this study, we capture Inuit resilience and vulnerability transposing systematic literature review findings into a multiplex network analysis determining which variables poses a higher degree of connectivity and importance in total Inuit vulnerability to CC. The aim of this multiplex network approach is to launch the parameterization of a CC index model to identify Inuit vulnerability hotspots covering Canada’s Northern Coasts. To accomplish this task, we fostered the detection of sources of vulnerability into four segments of Inuit life such as infrastructure and transportation, business and economy, health and well-being and culture-education/subsistence and harvesting. The multiplex network analysis unfolded n = 58 paramount variables aggregated into n = 13 categories cross-cutting three vulnerability dimensions. Vulnerability results depict a high degree of exposure caused by extreme weather events such as floods, temperature changes, storm surges and coastal erosion. Sensitivity is mostly driven by the cost of living and relative poverty, while adaptive capacity decreases the latter through natural resources and risk management, future planning and wage income. The multiplex results also revealed that some network nodes edges are more multiplex than others, showing that certain variables are highly interchangeable in the system.
Nathan S. Debortoli, PhD., 