1. Dr. Lea Berrang Ford, Dr. Alejandro Llanos, and the IHACC Team
Indigenous Health Adaptation to Climate Change
Dr. Lea Berrang Ford, Dr. Alejandro Llanos, and the IHACC Team

2. BACKGROUND
Research and scientific consensus confirms that vulnerable and marginalized populations will be disproportionately affected by CC
Despite high vulnerabilities, Indigenous populations have been largely ignored in climate change research and policy debate
The impacts of climate change will be manifest locally through environmental variability and in the context of existing socio-economic vulnerabilities and adaptive capacity
Identification of adaptation entry points requires an understanding of how populations currently cope with – and respond to – climatic variability and its impacts

3. Program Goal
To apply scientific and Indigenous Knowledge to empower remote Indigenous populations to adapt to the health effects of climate change

4. A vulnerability framework
Current Exp & Sensitivity
Current Adaptive Capacity
Future Exp & Sensitivity
Future Adaptive Capacity
Future Climate Probabilities
Future Social Probabilities
Policy interventions
Future Social Conditions
The nature of future exposures is informed by future climate probabilities based on current exposures.

5. Remote indigenous communities
Canadian Arctic (Inuit)
Peruvian Amazon (Shipibo & Shawi)
Southwest Uganda (Pygmy peoples)
McGill University
(Dept. Geography
& Institute for Health & Social Policy)
University of Cayetano (Public Health School)
Makerere University
(Dept. Geography & Climatic Sciences)
Rationale for site selection:
reflect experiences of remote indigenous populations in high, middle & low-income countries
similar population size, socio-economic & health inequalities, remoteness, environmental sensitivity
transitions in economy, nutrition & health
erosion of IK over past decades
Established partnerships in each region
Vulnerability framework (‘bottom-up’ approach)

6. OBJECTIVES
Characterize current vulnerability (empirical understanding of how remote Indigenous health systems are affected weather and climate variability).
Estimate future vulnerability (how climate change will alter health risks and whether changes lie within the adaptive capacity of health systems)
Implement & monitor pilot adaptation interventions
Develop adaptation plans (actions that can reduce vulnerability and increase adaptability)
Create adaptation leaders (within the scientific community, partner organizations, and communities)
Indigenous Knowledge Bank creation

7. Pilot Research PhotoVoice
Innovative features – new techniques for participatory engagement

8. HEALTH FOCI
Food security
Water security
Vector-borne diseases

9. CROSS-CUTTING THEMES Children’s health & generational transitions
Globalization & resource development
Indigenous Health Knowledge

10. Training is based on needs of each region, but in all regions an Adaptation Leaders Program will be initiated. We are currently developing plans for how this will unfold regionally.
In Peru, regional and local partners are particularly interested in workshops and training materials related to climate change vulnerability & adaptation.
In Uganda, there is interest in training in adaptive skills (beekeeping, agriculture).
In the Arctic, there is interest in the Indigenous Knowledge Bank and documentaries of IK.
Graduate students will all be offered training in EcoHealth via the COPEH Canada ecosystem health training program.
Grad students in many cases will train fully or partially at a partner university (co-supervision & coursework)
Network of students across regions.

11. BIO-ETHICAL FRAMEWORK
Protection of Indigenous ownership of knowledge
Ethical procedures for health research
Ethicist partnering with research team (K. Hyams)
Development of formal bio-ethical frameworks for program research
Guiding questions for development of bio-ethical framework:
How can the research ensure relevance and appropriateness to community needs?
What is the appropriate process for consultation and decision-making in the community?
What is considered meaningful and appropriate participation?
What is informed consent?
How can accountability be established and monitored?
How can researchers ensure data is protected after collection?
Who should have access to knowledge arising from the project?
What type of knowledge output is most relevant to the community?

12. HIGHLIGHTED FEATURES Focus on Indigenous health
Participatory community research using the vulnerability framework (‘bottom up’ approach)
Community Adaptation Leaders & Indigenous Knowledge Banks
Innovative tools for knowledge sharing & dissemination
PhotoVoice
New Media
Program Website
More later (KM&T prez)
Comparative analysis (high, middle, low income populations)

13. PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS - highlights
International (IPCC) spotlight on Indigenous vulnerability (e.g. Indigenous Adaptation Fund)
E.g. Policy recommendations for access to funds from Global Environmental Facility, Copenhagen Accord
Catalyze national climate & health research in Indigenous populations
Peru: Cayetano Indigenous Health Research Unit
Uganda: Makerere Centre of Excellence in Climate Change Research
Comparative analysis (high, middle, low income populations)
Generalizability & context-dependence of Indigenous vulnerability & adaptive capacity
Common yet differentiated opportunities for adaptation policy
Catalyze adaptive capacity within communities
Training, interventions, knowledge banks

14. Project Management Committee: Collaborators & Regional Team leads:
James Ford
Alejandro Llanos
Lea Berrang Ford
Shuaib Llwasa
Victoria Edge
Didas Namanya
Other Co-Applicants:
Jody Heymann (McGill Inst. Health & Social Policy)
Duncan Pederson (McGill Global Trauma Program)
Patricia Garcia (Cayetano)
Sam Okware (Ugandan National Health Research Org)
Collaborators & Regional Team leads:
Eduardo Gotuzzo (Cayetano)
Carol Zavaleta (Cayetano)
Isaac Alva (Cayetano)
Lubowa Abdelrahman (Makerere)
Jim Henderson (McGill)
Kris Ebi (ClimAdapt, IPCC)
Mark New (Oxford)
CINE McGill
GEC3 McGil