Thawing ground could damage infrastructure

Melting permafrost and high winds fueled by climate change could cause an infrastructure nightmare for Arctic communities, according to a report commissioned by the City of Iqaluit.

The report, prepared by New Brunswick consultant Debbie Nielsen, says thawing permafrost could damage roads, buildings and utilidors. The report was presented to council Wednesday.

"If climate is changing, we're expecting our buildings and structures to cope with climate conditions they weren't designed to withstand," she told councillors.

Mean temperatures have already increased three to four degrees during the last century. That could pose a huge problem in Arctic environments where construction depends on frozen ground to ensure the stability of buildings.

"Permafrost is very sensitive to long-term warming temperatures and studies show that even small increases in temperature will cause soils to lose their (weight) bearing capacity," Nielsen writes.

Thawed permafrost could cause buildings to settle, damaging them and shortening their lifespan, the report says. Softer ground also means the possibility of damage to treatment plants and upheaval for utilidor pipes, exposing the city to the risk of water contamination. It also means a greater chance that pollutants from once-frozen Arctic landfills could leach into the ground.

Nielsen writes that human efforts on climate change have mostly focused on prevention though the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. But governments are increasingly starting to prepare for long-term climate flux, including permanent shifts in weather patterns and more frequent "extreme" weather events, she wrote.

But Nielsen also concedes governments may be more pressed to spend money on immediate problems, instead of ones that may not happen for decades or at all.

"Since the magnitude and timing of climate change is uncertain, it may be difficult to rationalize expensive adaptation measures in the face of seemingly more immediate and obvious concerns," she writes.

Mayor Elisapee Sheutiapik said there's not much for the city to act on in the short term, but much in the report to consider as the city grows.

"I think it all ties into the long-term planning we've been talking about," she said.

Nielsen suggests the city requires new municipal buildings, roads, and landfills to be designed to withstand projected climate changes and restrict development in areas that could be prone to flooding and erosion caused by rising sea levels.

The report recommends the city create an inventory of existing infrastructure that could be vulnerable to climate change impacts, step up monitoring of ground conditions and temperatures and make changes to the disaster management plan to ensure the city can still function during "times of extremely low water supply."