Impacts of Climate Change

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As the climate changes, traditional practices, governance, economic development, and infrastructure within First Nations will be impacted.

It is expected that First Nations will experience the impacts of climate change in ways that most non-Indigenous Canadians will not, due to heavy reliance on the environment, their locations, their economic situations; First Nations, similar to other natural resource dependent communities depend on the environment for subsistence, maintenance of culture, and other important aspects of their livelihoods.

Learn More About The Impacts Of Climate Change on First Nations
How does Climate Change affect First Nation communities? Why are First Nations more vulnerable to climate change?

Climate change impacts First Nation communities in serious ways.  Above all, climate change threatens the ability of First Nations peoples and communities to exercise their constitutionally protected rights, including the rights to hunt, fish and carry out traditional lifestyle practices and ceremonies.

First Nation communities are more likely to experience the adverse effects of climate change in a number of ways: having their diets altered as a result of changing ecosystems and migration patterns; changing their modes and pathways of transportation; their cultural ways of life; and, their abilities to access essential resources and services such as clean drinking water.

Climate change poses critical implications on First Nation identity, cultures and livelihoods, including the transfer and use of Traditional Knowledge (TK), also known as Indigenous Knowledge (IK). Certain elements of Traditional Knowledge that are threatened by climate change may include, but are not limited to: weather and climate indicators (ability to predict weather or seasonal forecasts) and ways of learning.

Sacred sites and ceremonies, which are site-specific or rely on certain resources (medicines, plants, herbs, animal resources, etc.) are threatened the effects of climate change; for example, severe drought or heavy rains can impact which plants grow and where.

Intergenerational Knowledge transfers can be disrupted by climate change in the event of an extreme or emergency situation, such as floods, fires, droughts, etc. that result in relocation, evacuation, or death of community members.

First Nation communities often operate with limited financial resources and other matters such as health and education, are given greater priority which results in communities being ill equipped to deal with emergency situations (such as flooding or forest fires) or their abilities to take preventative measures against extreme weather events.

This often results in greater ecosystem and infrastructure damages – along with economic damages sustained throughout the event and the high costs of repairing damages.

Remote First Nation communities are at an even greater risk because external emergency responders may be too far to mitigate the impacts of dangerous and potentially life threatening situations.

Warmer temperatures will decrease the access of winter road use for remote and northern communities, which will impact the delivery of supplies like lumber for building and fuel for vehicles. Winter roads are often described as “lifelines” because they provide access to isolated regions where permanent, all-weather roads are limited or do not exist.

These are often called “fly-in” communities because they rely heavily on aircraft for delivery of food, supplies, and travel.  Rising temperatures caused by climate change is a growing concern because it causes ice thickness to decrease making winter roads less reliable and unsafe.

Read here for a story about how a First Nation in British Columbia is adapting to climate change using their traditional knowledge coupled with climate modeling.

Physical Effects of Climate Change
on First Nations

  • Climate Change on Access to Northern Communities and Transportation
  • Climate Change on Water Quality and Quantity
  • Climate Change on Energy Cost and Usage
  • Climate Change on Community Infrastructure
  • Climate Change on Landscapes
  • Climate Change on Species
  • Cultural Effects of Climate Change on First Nations
  • Traditional Knowledge (TK) and Climate Change
  • Climate Change on Hunting and Fishing
  • Climate Change on Languages
  • Social Effects of Climate Change on First Nations
  • Climate Change and its Effects on Human Health and Safety
  • The Effects of Climate Change on Diets

Our ancestors taught us how to adapted to a changing environment. We have always found a way to live in harmony with nature through our cultural teachings

As for most societies, First Nations social structures are in part built around the traditions of food, spirituality, and medicine. However, for most First Nations, the activities of hunting, fishing, gathering, and the fruits of this labour continue to be important components of their cultures and traditions. Oral history and oral tradition allow common experiences to be shared and passed through generations. Sharing customary foods through traditional ceremonies strengthens the bonds amongst families and communities.