A profile of the eNuk environment and health monitoring program

A. Kipp, A. Cunsolo, D. Gillis, A. Sawatzky, O. Cook, N. Durish, I. Shiwak, C. Flowers, The Rigolet Community Government, M. Wood, and S.L. Harper

In Northern Canada, climate change is leading to major impacts on the health of people and the environment. Monitoring these impacts is often challenging, yet important to inform meaningful adaptation. The eNuk program is an Inuit-led, integrated environment and health monitoring program in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, Labrador. The goal of this program is to collect comprehensive information to support communities, governments, and policy makers when responding to environmental and health indicators of climate change. An important part of the program is the eNuk app, a mobile-phone application. The app is a tool for community members to record and share their observations related to climate change while in their community and on the land.

The data collected through the app will document the impacts of a changing climate on Inuit lives, health, and wellbeing. This data will help to inform action. For example, a user can record and share an incident of unseasonably thin sea ice or poor trail conditions. This information may help community members make decisions when planning their travel routes, increasing their safety. In the long term, the program will contribute to a baseline of environment and health data for Rigolet. It will record and preserve invaluable Inuit Knowledge which will help inform decision-making, policy, and programming. In addition, the eNuk program will support adaptation to climate change within the region and beyond, with actions grounded in Inuit values, knowledge, and science.

Full Paper: Download PDF