Community Perspectives from Pond Inlet, Nunavut, on Shipping Risk and Emergency Preparedness at the Eastern Entrance to the Northwest Passage

Аннотация

Over the past two decades, ship traffic in Arctic Canada has increased, leading to concerns about increased risks to the region, including heightened probabilities of a major shipping accident or disaster. This situation challenges the emergency preparedness capacities of Arctic coastal communities and governments. The Northwest Passage (NWP) is of particular interest due to increased accessibility related to climate change and sea ice reduction, along with its rising popularity as a potential maritime trade route and cruise ship hot spot. The coastal community of Pond Inlet, Nunavut, sits on the eastern mouth of the NWP and is a community with first-hand experiences with increases in ship traffic volume. To explore community perspectives on emergency preparedness for different types of shipping accidents and events, we applied a scenario-based survey with residents of Pond Inlet. Results of the study revealed that Pond Inlet residents have a low level of confidence in what the level of emergency response timing would be if a shipping accident occurred, and they anticipate high levels of devastation for the community and environment in such a moment. They also offered insights into what an Arctic shipping disaster could look like and opportunities for risk mitigation.