Assessing Climate Change Risk and Resilience in the Yukon
Priority 4 Changing climate conditions that affect land, water, animals and plants
Findings: Climate change is one of the biggest threats facing ecosystems, given the range of
impacts already experienced, the speed of change, and the vastness and diversity of the Yukon's
terrain. Changing conditions and temperatures affect ecosystems on land and in water, as well as
the composition, distribution and movement, health, availability, and spread of illness and parasites
in plants and animals. This poses risks to environmental health, and to Yukoners' food security,
livelihoods, community and cultural values. For Yukoners, and Indigenous peoples in particular,
cultural identity depends on accessing the land, and environmental health is closely linked to
human health and well-being.
66 I've been involved with the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada since
2006 or so. It's quite amazing how quickly climate change went from a minor consideration affecting
species at risk to being one of the greatest threats. Certainly, it's one of the biggest threat to species in
[the] Yukon.
PROJECT PARTICIPANT
Resilience to ecosystem impacts is difficult to describe due to the complexity of the relationships
between humans, plants and animals, the localized nature of some impacts, and the diversity of
ecosystems and communities throughout the territory. A comprehensive review of the impacts of
climate change on plants, fish, wildlife and biodiversity in the Yukon is beyond the scope of this
report. However, the assessment suggests that the Yukon's ability to adapt to the range of impacts
is limited. In many cases, the changes outpace the Yukon's ability to gather and analyze the
information needed to adapt (i.e., data collection, monitoring and modeling).
Recommendations: The assessment found that more can be done to identify ecosystems and
species that require urgent action, managing invasive species, and support communities' access to
harvested foods. Models that predict the impacts of climate change on species, particularly species
at risk, are still being developed. Although monitoring is carried out throughout the Yukon, it needs
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Climate change is projected to affect habitat
across the territory. Participants noted the
urgency of action; climate change is one of the
biggest threats facing species in the Yukon,
given the range of impacts already experienced.
ASSESSING CLIMATE CHANGE: RISK AND RESILIENCE IN THE YUKONView entire presentation