Food security in environmental assessment in the Northwest Territories' Mackenzie Valley
department or school: Science, Irving K. Barber Faculty of (Okanagan)
department or school: Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences, Department of (Okanagan)
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCO
creator: Mulders, Tamika
issued: 2024-01-02T18:22:45Z
issued: 2023
related degree: Master of Science - MSc
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: Environmental assessment (EA) is an approvals process to determine whether large-scale resource development projects will have significant adverse impacts, and to mitigate these. Many Northwest Territories (NWT) communities and Dene and Métis Indigenous groups rely on traditional subsistence harvesting to offset high costs of store-bought foods in the north. Food security can be affected through direct environmental impacts such as contaminants, impacts to wildlife and fish habitat, and climate change. While resource development projects can have economic benefits, they can affect access to these land-based foods, and can also have cultural, social, economic and health effects, such as changed perception of the land, reduced traditional knowledge and language transmission, and a shift from traditional economy towards a wage-based economy. The research questions are: 1) how is food security currently addressed in EA processes in the NWT’s Mackenzie Valley, and 2) should food security be more explicitly addressed, and if so, how? These questions are explored using a three-step approach. A literature review describes the background and issues of food security and food sovereignty in general, and specific to the north. Through a qualitative document analysis of three Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board (MVEIRB) EA processes, I wrote three case studies and developed key themes relating to food security and common topics. Interviews with northern EA practitioners explored their experiences with food security and EA, and recommendations for improvement. Addressing food security credibly requires a holistic systems approach, evidence-based decision-making using relevant data collection and monitoring, and by listening to community concerns. Key themes included contaminants and perception of the land, food’s importance to cultural continuity, health and well-being, economic factors, environmental and climate factors, access and harvest pressure, and Indigenous…
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/87010
note: Food Security in Environmental Assessment in the Northwest Territories’ Mackenzie Valley by Tamika Mulders B.Sc., Queen’s University, 2014 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE In THE COLLEGE OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Earth and Environmental Sciences) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Okanagan) December 2023 © Tamika Mulders, 2023 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the College of Graduate Studies for acceptance, a thesis entitled: Food Security in Environmental Assessment in the Northwest Territories’ Mackenzie Valley submitted by Tamika Mulders in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science Dr. Kevin Hanna, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science Supervisor Dr. Donna Senese, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Supervisory Committee Member Alan Ehrlich, Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Mary Stockdale, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences University Examiner iii Abstract Environmental assessment (EA) is an approvals process to determine whether large-scale resource development projects will have significant adverse impacts, and to mitigate these. Many Northwest Territories (NWT) communities and Dene and Métis Indigenous groups rely on traditional subsistence harvesting to offset high costs of store-bought foods in the north. Food security can be affected through direct environmental impacts such as contaminants, impacts to wildlife and fish habitat, and climate change. While resource development projects can have economic benefits, they can affect access to these land-based foods, and can also have cultural, social, economic and health effects, such as changed perception of the land, reduced traditional knowledge and language transmission, and a shift from traditional economy towards a wage-based economy. The research questions are: 1) how is food security curren…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2024-02
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0438372
language: eng
degree discipline: Earth and Environmental Sciences
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
contributor: Hanna, Kevin S. (Kevin Stuart), 1961-
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/87010