Assessing Climate Change Risk and Resilience in the Yukon
Priority 3 Permafrost thaw that affects communities, infrastructure and access
Findings: Permafrost thaw affects most communities across the Yukon, and communities with
limited resources and ice-rich permafrost (which is more likely to thaw) will see more significant
impacts. Yukoners are already seeing the impacts of permafrost thaw. Some people are dealing
with damage to local buildings that serve as important gathering places. Others worry about their
families' health and safety when homes slump or shift. People in communities downstream from
mining sites worry about impacts to their fish camps and nearby waterways, as permafrost thaw
can pose hazards for critical mine infrastructure. Costly and recurring damage to roads and
buildings is leading to difficult conversations about whether to move homes or to shut down
community buildings.
The frozen ground that anchors Herschel Island-Qikiqtaruk, located off the Yukon's north coast, is
thawing, and affecting Inuvialuit history and culture. In Old Crow Flats/Van Tat, people are seeing
the dramatic ways that landscapes can change, with entire lakes draining because of
permafrost thaw. These impacts are specific to place, and efforts to identify hazards, monitor
changes, and upgrade infrastructure must be coordinated with community participation and the
input of local values.
Recommendations: Proactive action to reduce risks is important. Although hazards related to
permafrost thaw received moderate climate risk scores, team members identified this as a priority
after considering the scores and having discussions with project participants and subject matter
experts. Experts noted that permafrost thaw may be a slow process, which can reduce the sense of
urgency in responding to this risk. However, permafrost is also vulnerable to other climate hazards,
such as wildfires, river erosion and changing hydrology, and it can thaw rapidly once it is disturbed.
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Permafrost thaw and erosion at the Takhini
River thaw slump (left) are encroaching on
the Alaska Highway. Many participants
noted that the Alaska Highway was particularly
vulnerable to permafrost thaw. A study done
in 2015 (Calmels et al. 2015) found that, of the
200-km section between Burwash Landing and
the Yukon-Alaska border, 42.7 per cent -
almost half is highly vulnerable.
ASSESSING CLIMATE CHANGE: RISK AND RESILIENCE IN THE YUKONView entire presentation