Assessing Climate Change Risk and Resilience in the Yukon
Priority 5 Changing conditions on the land that pose risks to safety, access,
culture and heritage, and livelihoods
Findings: Climate change impacts pose risks for Yukoners, Yukon First Nations people and
transboundary Indigenous people who use important places on the land and water for food
security, livelihoods, cultural and traditional activities, and recreation. Hazards that contribute to
significant risks include increased forest fires; changing conditions on rivers and lakes; extreme
weather conditions, and landscape-level changes from permafrost thaw. Conditions are becoming
increasingly unpredictable. These impacts pose health and safety risks for travel, affect hunting and
fishing seasons, restrict or prevent access to important gathering places and cultural sites, reduce
tourism operators' and visitors' ability to access the backcountry, and affect peoples' sense of
belonging, community and well-being.
These risks affect the health and well-being of Yukon communities, as these values are closely
connected to the land. People who access the land for food and subsistence, who live in remote
areas, and who already face food insecurity are at particularly high risk. In remote areas, store-
bought food can be expensive, with poor quality and selection. Access to the land can also be
restricted because of the costs of the equipment and fuel needed to reach remote areas.
Additionally, getting out on the land may also require taking time away from wage work,
which may not be possible for some low-income families.
Both experienced and inexperienced travelers face safety concerns accessing backcountry areas.
Established routes through remote areas, known to be safe for decades, may be hazardous due to
changing climate conditions. Participants gave some of the highest scores to changing snow and
ice cover, which create unsafe or unreliable conditions (Impact 16). It scored among the top impacts
for almost every one of the nine values.
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Citizens of White River First Nation have noted
that changes in creeks and rivers affect their
access to cabins and hunting and fishing sites.
In remote areas of the Yukon, there is limited
access, greater dependence on local food
sources or traditional foods (left), and fewer
grocery stores. According to one risk assess-
ment participant, "Over the last three years,
we have not been able to access [our] cabins
in certain areas when we usually would, due to
changes in ice."
ASSESSING CLIMATE CHANGE: RISK AND RESILIENCE IN THE YUKONView entire presentation