Toronto  - A Canadian Inuit who has drawn attention to the effects of climate change in the Arctic was honoured by the United Nations for his campaign on Wednesday.

Sheila Watt-Cloutier, 53, received the Mahbub ul Haq Award for Excellence in Human Development for her efforts to sound the alarm about the effects of greenhouse gases on the way of life of native peoples, like the Inuit.

The warming of the earth damages the permafrost, causing erosion in the Arctic and forcing more Inuit to leave their ancestral land and start over elsewhere. Animals that the Inuit have traditionally used as food are also fighting to survive or are moving further north, Watt-Cloutier said.

The changing conditions also impact native peoples in Alaska, Greenland and Russia.

The award is given annually and is named for Mahbub ul Haq, who founded an independent development project to raise the standard of human development around the world.

Watt-Cloutier has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.