Permafrost characterization, mapping, modelling and knowledge sharing in support of construction of community roads and trails over sensitive tundra. Kugluktuk, Nunavut, Canada.

As part of an Inuit-led initiative, a collaborative research project combined scientific methods and Inuit knowledge to design an environmentally friendly and climate change-resilient access route from the community of Kugluktuk to Kugluk Territorial Park, in Western Nunavut, Canada. The project aimed to improve community access to the park and surrounding lands while protecting the tundra ecosystem and ensuring the infrastructures could withstand the impacts of climate change. To achieve these goals, two types of light infrastructure were constructed: (1) a summer road on a thin (≤ 50 cm) embankment extending to the park entrance, and (2) a locally designed wooden boardwalk trail laid on the tundra within the park. One key challenge for this infrastructure project involved crossing ~379 ice wedges along the route. Among the applied methods, thermal modeling revealed that filling ice wedge troughs with soil before construction will improve road stability. The numerical simulations also indicated that the “floating” boardwalk trail maintained natural ground temperatures and prevented tundra degradation by ATV trampling. Training youth and exchanging knowledge between scientists and community members were important components of the project.