The Impact of Climate Change on Canada

Introduction
The environmental peril to the earth in the present day is greater and more severe compared to any other given time in human history. Canada is one of the nations that have been significantly impacted by climate change. Imperatively, average temperatures in the nation have already risen by 1.7 degrees Celsius in the past seven decades. Unrelenting intensification of warming at high latitudes is anticipated under all circumstances of impending climate change (Clean Technica, 2018). Higher temperatures together with greater levels of rainfall, rising sea levels will be perceptible. It is projected that in the forthcoming century, warmer rainwaters and ocean acidification will become progressively more evident. Canada has experienced a greater rate of warming as compared to other expanses in the world, especially in the arctic region in the far north and also in the west. This warming has been most noticeable in the seasons of winter and spring. This is giving rise to significant impacts throughout the nation and comprise of sea-level rise, severe and extreme weather conditions as well as permafrost and ice melt in the Arctic (Clean Technica, 2018). The main objective of this paper is to comprehensively examine the impact of climate change on Canada.
Health Impacts
Resident indigenous populaces of Arctic Canada are distinctively susceptible to climate change owing to their close association with, and reliance on, the land, sea and natural resources for their welfare. Climate changes have a significant impact on the health of the population. The direct health threats from climate change comprise of morbidity as well as mortality emanating from increasing severe events such as flooding, storms and increased heat and cold, together with an increased prevalence of injury and mortality linked with erratic ice and storm circumstances (Dudley et al., 2015: 716). The indirect health impacts of climate change comprise of heightened mental and social stress associated with changes in the environment, prospective changes in bacterial and viral illnesses, together with declined accessibility to quality water sources. A number of parts in the Arctic region are at risk for increasing sickness as a result of deteriorating sanitation infrastructure emanating from changes in permafrost together with storm surges. Anticipated warming will have an impact on the aspects of transporting, distributing and behavior of toxins and contaminants, further negatively impacting the wellbeing of the customary food supply and possibly accumulating human exposure. Higher levels of temperatures at lower latitudes will lead to a rise in volatisation of impurities bringing about amplified distribution of contaminants to the Arctic (Parkinson and Evengard, 2009).
Economic Impacts
Arctic Canada is also experiencing the economic costs of climate change. The real and increasing costs are presently being experienced in two major areas including the economic and financial effect of progressively more extreme weather and the impact on public infrastructure. According to Hodgson (2018), climate change has substantially affected the property and casualty insurance industry of the nation, with direct implications for the insurance companies and their clientele. In recent times, the increasing frequency of extreme weather events have caused an increase in the level of weather-associated insurance claims for floods as well as other catastrophic events. Insurance companies in Canada are experiencing insurance claims amounting to just about $1 billion every year, a figure that has increased from $400 million in the past number of years. In the future, it is expected that these claims will increase as a result of damage to personal property as well as to general public assets. From an economic perspective, there is also the impact of the government facilitating funding and facing increasing liabilities as a result of flood damage together with other catastrophic events (Hodgson, 2018). Statistics indicate that in Canada, the yearly liabilities incurred by the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements have significantly increased. These outlays have risen from approximately $100 million every year just about two decades ago to half a billion in the past decade and further up to $2 billion in the past five years (Hodgson, 2018).
As indicated above, the Canadian government has facilitated a great deal of amounts in funding as high as $1,7 billion for flooding that took place in Southern Alberta and also $850 million incurred in dealing with storm events that took place in Toronto and also $700 million for wildfire casualties in Slave Lake in Alberta (West Coast Environmental Law, 2014).
Environmental and Societal Impacts
Specific impacts of climate change are exceedingly intense in the Arctic, with greater temperature increases as compared to most parts of the earth, as a result of polar amplification. From an environmental perspective, there has been a significant decline of the Arctic sea-ice area. Specifically, the average sea-ice thickness has diminished to a significant extent. The image below illustrates that 45 percent of the Arctic Canadian region has a moderately to high response to climate change (Stephen, 2018).
Environmentally, climate change in the Arctic area is also impacting the environs of the wildlife. Specifically, the animals are being placed at risk and ultimately, there is the concern that they may become obsolete. Specifically, animals such as polar bears are experiencing significant challenges to adapt to their new topography with changes in meals and also illness as indicated in the image above. This is because the melting ice is altering food availability and generating new predators and competitors in the area.
In regard to social impact, climate change impacts several different sectors in Arctic Canada. There is an increasing availability and consumption of resources in the region, precisely of conventional oil and gas resources anticipated within the seabed of the Arctic waters. The shipping sector is also significantly impacted is the shipping sector. This is in regard to the prospects of using new transport, more so the shipping ways and courses through the Arctic. The association between the development of sea ice and increasing shipping happenings and undertakings have instigate high anticipations for demanding and eventful shipping traffic through the North (Stephen, 2018). The fisheries sector has also significantly been impacted by climate change. Imperatively, the social impacts within this sector might have emanated as a result of the changes of fish populations in the Arctic waters. These could come about owing to climate instigated changes to the marine ecosystem, which may give rise to more unexpected conditions for some saleable fish stocks within the Arctic (Stephen, 2018).
Climate change in Arctic Canada also significantly impacts the communities residing in the region. In accordance to a report by Zerehi (2016), some coastal communities, for instance, Tuktoyaktuk are already experiencing the worry and stress. Notably, the community resides on the frontal lines of the coastal changes within the Canadian Arctic. Bearing in mind that this is a region that is significantly rich in ice, it implies that there is plenty of ground ice within the permafrost and therefore erosion is easy. Aside from erosion, another impact of climate change affecting the community is that there is significant flooding, which could eradicate vegetation and proximate water supplies with its salinity (Zerehi, 2016). As indicated in the image below, there has been longstanding erosion in the area for the past five decades and the resultant bare earth and lack of vegetation is bound to be impacted by flood.
The climate change in the Canadian Arctic has facilitated the region to be a progressively new tourist destination. This is largely owing to easier accessibility, increasing cognizance and also an increased level of demand for the general public to get the opportunity to view the icy wonders of the Northern region prior to their disappearance. Nonetheless, in spite of the fact that this has prompted a business opportunity, at the same time there is the increasing concern of growing levels of pollution and waste, disruption to animals, and interruption of everyday life and traditional activities in local communities. This gives rise to the deliberations regarding the likelihoods and ways of handling Arctic tourism activities sustainably (Stephen, 2018).
Conclusion
The Arctic makes up just about 40percent of the landmass in Canada and just over 60 percent of the nation’s coastline. As a result of climate change, the Arctic is changing at a significant rate, one that was not perceived in preceding generations. Notably, the region is becoming warmer at a rate that is twice the average global rate. This has resulted in an impact on different aspects. From a physical environmental perspective, the sea ice, which forms the base of the Arctic life, is substantially melting, thereby transforming the reality of the region. These changes are impacting the communities, presenting both opportunities and challenges. Some of the prospects include economic growth and jobs in regard to oil and gas development, increased shipping an also fisheries. In contrast, some of the perceptible and impending challenges include the risk placed on wildlife as animals find difficulty in adapting to the new area, altering food accessibility as well as new predators and rivals. There are also the challenges of pollution in terms of oil spills, disruption to communities and introduction of hostile species.





References
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