Original ResearchThe role of environmental factors in search and rescue incidents in Nunavut, Canada
Introduction
Injury is the leading cause of death for Canadians aged 1 – 44 years, costing an estimated $26.8 billion annually.1 The burden of injury and trauma disproportionately affects socially marginalized populations,2, 3, 4 and Indigenous populations in the Arctic have been identified as being particularly susceptible given social and environmental contexts.5, 6, 7 Mortality rates of unintentional injury in the Inuit territory of Nunavut, for example are more than twice the national average, and potential years of life lost (2763 per 100,000) more than three-times the national average.8, 9
Climate change may further amplify injury rates in the Canadian Arctic, given the strong relationship between Inuit and the land for culturally-valued harvesting activities and transport between communities on semi-permanent ice and land-based trails.5, 10, 11 Over the past century in the Arctic, average surface air temperatures have increased by 5 °C, and perennial sea ice has declined by 9%–14%;12 temperatures are projected to increase by an additional 2 °C–9 °C this century, with wide ranging impacts.13 Research suggests that more dynamic ice conditions and increasing unpredictability of the weather are increasing the risk of injury and raising demand for search and rescue (SAR) across the north.14, 15 However, no studies in the Canadian Arctic, or more broadly, have quantitatively examined links between environmental conditions and injury or SAR. This paper examines the correlation between environmental conditions and SAR incidents across Nunavut, comparing weather and ice conditions during 202 SAR incidents to conditions during 755 non-SAR days (control) between 2013 and 2014.
Previous Arctic land-injury research has relied on descriptive analysis to understand patterns of injury, due to a lack of case and exposure data.5, 9, 14, 15 However, by not accounting for exposure or quantity of travel on land, sea, or ice – termed land-use – previous studies do not capture links between environmental risk and injury. Without controlling for exposure, studies could simply be capturing fluctuations in land-use intensity, not risk. In this study, we develop a new methodology for modelling land-use (exposure) in the Canadian Arctic using gasoline sales, and test for an association between weather/ice conditions and SAR demands across Nunavut, controlling for exposure to hazards. Furthering knowledge of injury pathways in general, and related to environmental factors in particular, the work is important for informing public health and medical practitioners in remote northern communities on prevention and response. Increased knowledge of when and under what conditions injuries occur can help health care practitioners focus preventions and prepare treatment resources.
Section snippets
Methods
The Canadian Territory of Nunavut (population 31,905) is located in the Eastern Canadian Arctic, stretching from the Hudson Bay to Greenland, including 25 communities ranging in size from 130 to 6600 people.16 Caribou, seal, polar bear, walrus, narwhal, and whales inhabit the region, migrating seasonally and providing sustenance for Inuit in the region.17 Inuit make up 83% of the territory's population. Over the past half-century, Inuit livelihoods have been dramatically altered, including
Results
Proxied land-use based on gasoline sales increased on the weekends, with a smaller increase in the middle of the week. Proxied land-use varied throughout the year across the Territory (Fig. 1); however, patterns shifted per community and latitude.
The frequency of search and rescue incidents follows similar trends to land-use, with peaks on Sunday and Wednesday, and in the spring and fall. However, weeks with the highest frequency of SAR events in the spring are about 4 weeks after the proxied
Discussion
Land-use injury research in the Arctic has been limited by a lack of land-use data or inability to assess risk exposure, relying instead on descriptive statistics of injury events. Addressing this gap, we proxied exposure of individuals to potential hazards using gasoline sales. This approach allowed for analysis of associations between SAR events and environmental conditions. Thus, results denote when and under what conditions land-users are at the greatest risk of injury in the Arctic,
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Applied Public Health Chairs program of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the National Search and Rescue Secretariat, Nunavut Protection Services, and ArcticNet, for their support.
Ethical approval
Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Review Board of McGill University and from the Nunavut Research Institute.
Funding
This research was funded by the Canadian Institute for Health Research (grant number TT6-128271) and Rotary International Global Scholarship.
Competing interests
None
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