Inuu’tuti Baker Lake Basin Cumulative Effects Monitoring

The Program

Inuu’tuti, meaning 'life source’, is the name of a program focused on a more comprehensive approach to water monitoring taking place in the Baker Lake basin. The objective of the program is to create a long-term monitoring program which will identify cumulative effects in water. The information could be used to determine how to mitigate the impacts as development increases and climate changes in the region.

Inuu’tuti will include the five water basins of the following rivers: Dubawnt, Thelon, Kazan, Quoich and the catchment area that flows directly into the Baker Lake Basin.

The first five years of this 20-year program will be used to:

• develop the systems of management;
• design the monitoring program that will help determine what the natural 'baseline’ conditions are (water quality, quantity and flow), if those conditions are changing, and if so, what the cause of the changes is; and
• determine methods for long-term monitoring.

This program is a collaborative partnership between the Nunavut General Monitoring Plan Secretariat, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, the Kivalliq Inuit Association and the Nunavut Water Board (NWB). By working together and wisely using all types of knowledge, Inuu’tuti can gather the information needed to safeguard the waters of Baker Lake Basin, and to benefit the people of Baker Lake and all Nunavummiut.

The Vision

Inuu’tuti will use Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) and science equally. IQ will be a critical element and is needed along with science to provide information on the condition of river systems in the Baker Lake Basin in order to safeguard the waters of the Baker Lake basin.

New data will be collected to fill in gaps and to increase understanding of the overall river systems and of climate change effects. The community of Baker Lake will be actively involved in data collection through community-based monitoring which will be essential to the long-term sustainability of the program.

Why do we need a monitoring program for the Baker Lake Basin?

Why should the community of Baker Lake be involved in the Monitoring Program?

Community involvement will ensure that Inuu’tuti addresses the needs of Baker Lake residents and incorporates their rich knowledge. The organizations and people who use, manage and research the waters in the Baker Lake basin will work together to gather the information needed to better understand the effects of development and climate change on the region’s waters.

How will the Community of Baker Lake be Involved?

The people and community of Baker Lake will be involved in determining their role.

Community involvement may include:

• Local data collection
• Development and management of community-based monitoring systems (CBM) which will include both scientific and IQ data collected by the community.
• Steering committee participation to guide the design and development of the program.
• Working directly with decision-makers interpreting data and applying IQ to make sure it’s understood and used properly by the Nunavut Impact Review Board, NWB, water resource managers and others.
• Program development – in addition to CBM, the overall program will include information from other monitoring programs such as mining companies, KIA (Kivalliq Inuit Association) and CIRNAC. Community input could be helpful at various stages including: