Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) provides direction and funding for adaptation projects throughout the NWT. It also engages Indigenous and community governments and stakeholders within the NWT to help mainstream climate change adaptation throughout organizations being negatively impacted by climate change.

Since 2012, the GNWT has received federal funding for ‘front-line’ climate change adaptation projects. Details on these projects can be found under the Information Notes section of the Pan-Territorial Adaptation Partnership website.

Wildland fire management 

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) provides wildfire management throughout the Northwest Territories (NWT). For more information on the impacts of climate change on wildfire, and on programs of wildfire prevention and protection, such as the FireSmart program, please see Fire Operations.

Six-month climate forecast

Six-month climate forecast of temperature and precipitation

Trends In recent decades, a noticeable warming trend in temperature has been established in the Northwest Territories (NWT). This warming trend, the result of carbon dioxide emissions from human activities, is more pronounced in the NWT than in the south. For more information on trends, see the following documents:

• NWT Climate Observations - Temperature and Precipitation Observations in the NWT - 1957-2012

Projections

Projections into the climate future of the NWT vary, depending on emissions, as outlined in the University of Alaska Climate Biomes 2012 Report (full report; summary). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projections range considerably depending on the level of greenhouse gas mitigation to take place in the near future. Therefore, predictions on the impacts of climate change in the NWT also range considerably.

Changes in the climate and the landscape are already affecting northerners. The climate change impacts identified in the 2030 NWT Climate Change Strategic Framework (Appendix B) are outlined below:

• Changes to climate and weather

• Thawing permafrost

• Changes to water quality and quantity

• Changes to forests and tundra vegetation

• Changes to wildlife

• Changes to freshwater fish and marine mammals

• Human health

  • Potential negative impacts on physical human health

  • Negative impacts on food security and mental, social and cultural well-being

  • Potentially new opportunities for growing local food

• Public safety

• Culture and heritage

• Infrastructure

Climate change adaptation means taking actions to reduce negative impacts of climate change and variability, and taking advantage of new opportunities that may be presented.

Northern ecosystems, people, traditional lifestyles and infrastructure are all dependent on cold subarctic and arctic climates in the Northwest Territories (NWT). With a warmer climate, the NWT has had to adjust and find solutions to doing things in new ways. The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT), while focusing on understanding and predicting climate change impacts, is also exploring ways to reduce negative impacts on people and the environment.

Pan-Territorial Adaptation Partnership

The Pan-Territorial Adaptation Partnership, established in 2009, allows Nunavut, Yukon and the NWT to work together on climate change by sharing knowledge and best practices for adaptation. More information on the Pan-Territorial Adaptation Strategy and Partnership is available on the partnership's website.

Arctic Adaptation Exchange 

The Arctic Council Sustainable Development Working Group, in conjunction with several partners, has developed Arctic Adaptation Exchange, which lists and maps adaptation projects taking place across the Arctic.