Climate Sense

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overnance

and

olicy

tial for the effective development of sector-specific

and regional economies are, in particular: northward

displacement of the northern boundary of the comfort-

able habitation zone as a result of mitigating climatic

conditions; reduction in energy expenditure on heating

during the cold season; improvement in ice conditions

and consequently in conditions for cargo transport in

the arctic seas, easing access to the Arctic Shelves and

their reclamation; improvement in the structure and

expansion of plant husbandry as well as an increase in

the productivity of animal husbandry (providing certain

additional conditions are met and certain measures

taken); increase in the productivity of boreal forests;

increase in water resources (for the country as a whole,

notwithstanding the appearance of some regional

deficits) and improvement in conditions for the devel-

opment of hydro-electric power.

Among negative consequences of expected climate

change are: an increase in the recurrence, intensity and

duration of droughts in some regions, and in others a rise

in extreme precipitation, floods, and cases of soil humid-

ity reaching agriculturally dangerous levels; increased

fire risk in forested landscapes; degradation of permafrost

with damage to buildings and infrastructure in north-

ern regions; disruption of the ecological equilibrium,

displacement of one biological species by others; increase

in computer technologies that would allow for the possibility of

carrying out complex calculations with high resolution climatic

models. This will allow changes in the probability of the spread

of climatic characteristics to be evaluated more accurately – in

particular, for changes in the recurrence and intensity of hazard-

ous events.

An Assessment Report on climate change and its consequences

for the territory of the Russian Federation (RF) was prepared by

the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental

Monitoring (Roshydromet) in collaboration with the Russian

Academy of Science and published in 2008. This report presents the

results of up-to-date research into many years of hydrometeorologi-

cal observations on Russian territory, and also examines the results

of climate modelling.

According to the Roshydromet Report, a significant part of the

territory of the RF is located within the region of maximum climatic

change, both observed and predicted.

The consequences of climate change vary for different regions

of Russia and can impact differently on diverse groups of the

population, sectors of the economy and natural phenom-

ena within the confines of any given region. Therefore, when

working out a national strategy for the RF, it is vital to take

into account the whole spectrum of losses and gains connected

with change.

Among the consequences of the expected climate change which

would be positive for the RF and are connected to significant poten-

Scientists gather important data about the climate from research in polar regions

Image: International Polar Foundation