Minimizing the Impacts and Maximizing the Benefits of Marine Shipping Activities for Arctic Communities Through the Use of Traditional Knowledge

Interest in Arctic shipping is growing as sea ice is melting and as other industries are developing. An increase in shipping presents risks to both the natural environment (from the movement of ships and the products that they carry) and to the local communities that rely on those healthy environments for food and other products. However, the local Inuit people in Nunavut also hold a certain body of knowledge referred to as Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ).

This knowledge includes critical information about the land and water, its use, and important cultural practices. IQ must be considered in development projects in the Arctic in order to ensure that any possible negative impacts from the project can be minimized or avoided. The identified issue is that managers do not know how to effectively incorporate IQ into the decision-making process. This project will address the issue by investigating who is making shipping-related decisions in Nunavut and how IQ is, or is not, being incorporated into those decisions. Then a framework will be developed to guide managers in how to effectively use IQ in shipping developments.

Faculty Supervisor:

Lucia Fanning

Student:

Andrea Flynn

Partner:

Nexus Coastal Resource Management

Discipline:

Business

Sector:

Automotive and transportation

University:

Dalhousie University