Assessing Climate Change Risk and Resilience in the Yukon
Table 9 summarizes the risk scores for for the most significant impacts related to Priority 5.
Table 9 Summary of risk scores, Priority 5: Changing conditions on the land that pose risks to safety, access,
culture and heritage, and livelihoods
1
7
10
10
Impact
Risk score
(1-25) Likelihood x
Consequence
Wildfire smoke
is transported
long distances,
INF
FS
15
EN
16 15
CH
AC
CM
affecting local and
16
16
15
Wildfire
regional air quality
LH
EH
HW
16
17
17
Permafrost thaw
INF
FS
EN
destabilizes soil
18
12
10
conditions
CH
AC
CM
Permafrost
10
16
12
thaw
LH
EH
HW
10
10
8
Storm surges,
INF
FS
EN
Moderate: More likely
shoreline erosion
12
10
10
7
than not to occur once
and decreasing
per decade; may occur
CH
AC
CM
near-shore ice
multiple times per
Snow, ice,
water
13
12
12
alter the Yukon
decade
North Slope
LH
H
EH
HW
10
12
10
Changes to snow
and ice cover
create unsafe or
INF
St
FS
EN
21
21 16
CH
AC
CM
unreliable condi-
Snow, ice,
water
19
23
19
tions that reduce
access to the land
LH
EH HW
20
21
20
The timing of ice
INF
FS
EN
break-up on
14
14
11
waterways
CH
AC
CM
changes,
Snow, ice,
water
14
17
14
including earlier
spring break-up
LH
EH
HW
13
11
13
Health and safety
INF
FS
EN
of people on the
12
14
12
land are at risk
CH
AC CM
from variable,
High: More likely than
not to occur multiple
times per decade; may
occur annually
15
12
15
Extreme
weather
uncertain
Likelihood
based on a score from 1
(very low) to 5 (very high)
High: More likely than
not to occur multiple
times per decade; may
occur annually
High: More likely than
not to occur multiple
times per decade; may
occur annually
Very high: Likely
annual, ongoing
occurrences
High: More likely than
not to occur multiple
times per decade; may
occur annually
Consequences to values
•Health and safety risks
when traveling on the
land
• Difficulty accessing
cultural and heritage
sites
•
Damage to historic
buildings and
structures, natural
heritage sites, and
traditional and
cultural sites; for
example, traditional
camps along river-
banks and lakeshores
at risk from flooding or
erosion
Damage to community
gathering places, such
as fishing and hunting
camps, cultural sites
and harvest sites,
for example, roofs of
smokehouses, fishing
and hunting camp
structures, and family
cabins caving in from
high snow loads
• Food insecurity,
particularly remote
communities
• Reduced access for
businesses operating
in remote areas
• Increased pressure
on communities for
search and rescue
• Negative impacts to
cultural values, health
and well-being, and
community values
and extreme
LH
EH
weather
16
13
HW
14
16
17
28
PAGE 28
ASSESSING CLIMATE CHANGE: RISK AND RESILIENCE IN THE YUKONView entire presentation