Photographs and text by Anna Bunce.
Food security and stomach illness related to water borne disease are two issues Northern Canadians grapple with on daily basis. The Indigenous Adaptation to Climate Change (IHACC) research group conducted household surveys of Iqaluit and Rigolet residents in an attempt to determine how climate change is contributing to food security and illnesses. Over three weeks, four IHACC researchers from the University Guelph and McGill worked with a team of 16 local surveyors in Iqaluit to administer these surveys in over 500 randomly selected homes. The aim of the project is to extend the use of the data beyond research and into local programming. The information will be shared with the Public Health Agency of Canada and the local government for future policy planning. IHACC also has funds reserved to develop locally specific programming to address issues revealed by the survey data.