Ottawa must work with Indigenous communities to mitigate climate disasters, experts say

First Nations and Indigenous communities in Canada need more support from the federal government to cope with future disasters related to climate change, according to a new report on Canada's disaster resilience.

Although people living in these communities are more likely to experience climate-related disasters, experts say not enough is being done to help them plan and prepare as Canada's weather becomes more extreme.

"The nations that I work with oftentimes feel like they're ignored or left out," said Amy Cardinal Christianson, a researcher with the Canadian Forest Service who studies the effect of wildfires in Indigenous communities.

Christianson, who is Métis from Treaty 8 Territory in Alberta, said Indigenous communities facing a heightened risk of wildfires and other natural disasters say they're being neglected by the government.

"Most felt like if they had the resources, that they could provide better support and response in their communities," she said.

Christianson's conclusions are supported by a new report, drafted by the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) at the request of Public Safety Canada and released this week.

The report, which examines Canada's ability to handle natural disasters, said governments aren't making good use of Indigenous knowledge and practices that could mitigate climate-driven events such as fires and floods.

"Nowhere is this more pressing than in supporting Indigenous communities in disaster preparedness and resilience," the report said, arguing Canada needs to bolster local infrastructure and practices.

The threat of climate-driven disasters is expected to grow in the near future as Canada's climate warms faster than the global average, triggering more extreme and unpredictable weather.

Research shows that Indigenous communities in Canada will be disproportionately affected — in part because they are often rural and remote.

According to Natural Resources Canada, predominantly Indigenous communities accounted for 48 per cent of the communities evacuated due to wildfires between 1980 and 2021 — even though Indigenous people make up just five per cent of Canada's population.

"Our research shows that there needs to be adaptation for these communities to be able to prepare and respond to these events in safe ways," Christianson said.

Indigenous Services Canada provides funding and supports to help Indigenous communities confront the effects of climate change — but experts say accessing those programs can be difficult.

"It's hard for an outside user to be able to track, know and understand all those different programs," said Scott Vaughan, a senior fellow at the International Institute of Sustainable Development who served as chair of the CCA report.