Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

CANADA #194: Comprehensive Health Impact Assessment Methodology for Community Decision Making in the Canadian Arctic  (Health Impact Assessment Methodology (HIAM))

Outline
The accelerating industrialization of developing countries, particularly throughout Asia, is likely to compound the increasing demand for raw materials and the greater energy needed to fuel the global economy. Canada’s wealth of natural resources positions it as a likely supplier for domestic and global industrial demands. The challenge facing the federal, provincial and territorial governments is to find ways to support economic development that enhances health and well-being without adversely impacting the environment. Canada’s northern Territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut) covers an area of 3,922,00 square kilometres and is characterized by a low population density (1 person per 40 square kilometres). Compared with Canada’s ten southern provinces, the northern territories have a large proportion of Aboriginals (50% vs 3%), high unemployment (13% vs 7%) and a significant number of health and well-being problems. People living in Canada’s northern territories, in particular Aboriginal peoples tend to have a holistic view of the environment and link their observations and appreciation of the physical world with the cultural and social attitudes created and supported by close interaction between the environment, health and lifestyle. The federal and territorial governments are aiming to foster development in the north that brings jobs, but does not significantly change the unique culture of northern communities or impact adversely on their health, well-being or environment. Despite expectations of significant community benefits arising from resource development, northern communities continue to express concerns about the impacts of development projects on their health and well-being. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a global strategy used by over 100 countries to predict, assess and mitigate any significant adverse effects associated with a proposed project, program or policy at the local, regional, national or international level. The Canadian Handbook on Health Impact Assessment is a world class resource outlining the integration of health, social, economic, cultural and psychological factors with key characteristics of the physical, biological and geochemical environments, providing a holistic understanding of the complex interrelationships between the human and natural environments that are key to human health within an EIA. The HIAM education agenda proposed will ensure increased, more focused and coherent citizen participation in , and knowledge of, sustainability issues through the Arctic by a) identifying and utilizing the existing network of Arctic research; b) building citizen capacity to encourage their full engagement; and c) augmenting existing facilities and activities that engage Canadians in understanding the Arctic and the stresses on it.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
Many Arctic communities have identified local environmental problems but do not know where to obtain base line information or knowledge regarding the environmental health outcomes associated with Arctic development. The HIAM provides a useful mechanism to incorporate existing information on the present environmental status with predictive modelling (increased industrial development, population growth, changing biodiversity, long range air pollution, climate change) at the local, national and international level to improve understanding, management and predictability of human impacts on the cultural, social and health (determinants of health) of the Arctic people.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
World Health Organization, World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Environmental and Occupational Health Impact Assessment and Surveillance, Canadian Northern Contaminants Program

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
The combination of self-administered web-based courses and community workshops will be available to communities throughout Canada’s three territories; while the self-administered web-based course would be internationally available to communities throughout the Arctic.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 06/05-03/09            
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Internet access to all communities that participate. Access will be of value to all research activities in the Arctic as a mechanism to exchange information.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
A network of research institutions at the national and international level dealing with health and environmental issues within the Arctic will be developed, as well as links to the data bases generated by these institutions.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Own national polar operator
Own support

Health Canada will be the responsible authority for this proposal.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Awaiting approval (endorsement) by the Canadian IPY Steering Committee

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
Yes

The proposal not only meets the IPY’s themes of Status, Change, Global Linkages and Human Dimension, but also with WHO’s goal for innovative initiatives in capacity building in the area of environmental health.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The self-administered web-based course will be developed by the WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre based on the existing Canadian Health Impact Assessment Handbook with input from Health Canada, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and WHO. Community workshops will be conducted throughout the Arctic by Health Canada to demonstrate the use of the course to key decision-makers in territorial communities. A small steering committee including academics, Health Canada management, the World Health Organization and WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre representatives will be responsible for overall management of the proposal, tasks, mile stones, establishing timelines and reviewing the quality of the deliverables.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
A world class HIA course (diploma level) focussing on enhancing students’ (from the Arctic region) abilities to integrate health factors into the planning of new development projects is proposed. Reaffirming the conclusions from the Reykiavik Declaration, that Arctic residents play a vital role in SD in the Arctic.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
The training course will identify existing environmental health data sets (a data set of data sets).

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Estimated New Resources needed: 05/06 - $150K 06/07 - $100K plus $40K high speed internet infrastructure support 07/08 - $60K plus $40K high speed internet infrastructure support 08/09 on going - $40K high speed internet infrastructure support Existing resources $30K annually 04/05 to 08/09

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
Development is expected to have beneficial effects on health and well-being because it creates jobs and provides other economic benefits that contribute to a better standard of living. However, development also has the capacity to cause adverse effects on health and well-being at the individual and community levels. Whether beneficial or negative, it is important to understand, assess and respond to changes and if possible, prevent or enhance them as determined. Communities might notice a marked decrease in their quality of life and health, yet be incapable of determining when or from what processes these changes emerged. On the other hand, their quality of life may have improved, yet without the knowledge of just where and when these improvements began, enhancing such changes or duplicating them in the future or in other communities may prove difficult, and attempts to do so may be counterproductive.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Director Roy Kwiatkowski
Health Canada
PL 8804, Rm 1597D Jeanne Mance Building, Tunney’s Pasture
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0K9
Canada

Tel: 1-613-952-2828
Mobile: 1-613-290-2671
Fax: 1-613-954-0692
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation