Research

Supporting Indigenous governments and communities to lead impact assessments
UBC has established a Cluster of Research Excellence in Indigenous Led Impact Assessment. This cluster brings together researchers from both UBC campuses in the faculties of in the faculties of Science, Forestry, Creative and Critical Studies, and Law to support Indigenous led impact assessment. This interdisciplinary team will work with Indigenous organizations to help outline information management requirements, define best practices for impact assessment, and develop case studies to support Indigenous governments and communities who are working to design new approaches to conducting impact assessments.

Supporting community information needs in environmental assessment in Nunavut
In the Canadian Arctic many challenges to EA effectiveness and efficiency are not unsurprisingly related to marine issues. Community capacities, the complex nature of information needs, workloads for community organizations, the complexity of project impacts, and an understanding of baseline conditions remain key issues in supporting effective community engagement in EA processes.

This is a collaborative research project developed in consultation with the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB). Our work will help address two environmental assessment practice areas with particular relevance to the North and Arctic.