About the NWT Environmental Audit
The NWT Environmental Audit is an independent review of the NWT environmental regulatory system in the Mackenzie Valley and the quality of environmental data available to make resource management decisions in the NWT. It will focus on:
- how land and water are managed;
- how information about the environment is collected;
- how cumulative impacts are monitored; and
- actions taken in response to past audit recommendations.
The independent Auditor will then provide recommendations to help guide responsible parties and improve how the environment is managed over the next five years.
Information and perspectives will be collected from the public and from people that are involved in land and water management. The Auditor is guided by a steering committee of Indigenous, territorial, and federal government representatives.
The Audit is an obligation of the Sahtú, Gwich'in and Tłı̨chǫ land claim agreements and a legislated requirement of the federal Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act (MVRMA). The MVRMA requires an Environmental Audit be completed at least every five years by an independent auditor. Five audits have been completed since 2005, most recently in 2025. The Auditor was selected through a competitive process and is under contract to the GNWT.
Informational Video about the NWT Audit
The NWT Environmental Audit is an important tool that decision-makers can use to improve coordination and effectiveness in of the NWT’s resource management systems, while incorporating Traditional Knowledge and honouring obligations under land claim agreements.
This video provides a summary of the purpose of the NWT Audit, and is available in multiple languages.
More information
General questions can be sent to the Northwest Territories Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program at nwtcimp@gov.nt.ca