OHMi-Nunavik: A Multi-Thematic and Cross-Cultural Research Program Studying the Cumulative Effects of Climate and Socio-Economic Changes on Inuit Communities

Adjusting to global climate and socio-environmental changes has become a major issue for many societies, especially in the Arctic. Many Inuit wish to better understand the changes taking place. In 2013, an international Observatory of Human-Environment Interactions (OHMi) was established in Nunavik to identify these changes, study their cumulative impact on the socio-ecosystem and to help develop adaptation measures to improve the well-being of Inuit communities. To this end, a team of academics and local Inuit partners joined forces to develop an integrated, interdisciplinary, collaborative research program. Using a participatory action research (PAR) approach, the OHMi Nunavik set the following research priorities: elder-youth knowledge transmission, northern agriculture, preservation of Inuit culture, language and identity, protected areas, mining employment, natural hazards and risks, and wildlife vulnerability. By strengthening the collaborations between multidisciplinary Canadian and French research teams, the OHMi Nunavik program integrates local and scientific knowledge both in planning the research and in disseminating the results.