The Ministry of Natural Resources has prepared a report according to which climate changes caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions will lead to an increase in the number of natural disasters, epidemics and crop failures in Russia. According to the ministry's findings, global warming threatens infrastructure facilities as well. This was reported by Kommersant.
The document notes that the climate in Russia is changing faster than in other places on the planet, and the average annual temperatures grew by 0.45 degrees Celsius every decade from 1976 to 2017. The department cites industrial emissions all over the world as the reason, large volumes of which are caused by economic growth and population growth.
The list of climate change impacts consists of several sections, including "Public health", "Water resources", "Crop production", "Natural ecosystems", "Permafrost", "Technical systems" and others. Particularly vulnerable regions are indicated, as well as the nature of the expected damage.
So, in the central and southern regions of the Russian Federation, there will be an increase in the number of deaths among older people due to heat. Forest fires and burning peatlands will lead to an increase in the level of air pollution, which, combined with high temperatures, will cause the spread of respiratory diseases (asthma, pneumonia, tuberculosis). In addition, Russians will more often suffer from acute intestinal diseases, parasites, and dangerous infections (anthrax, tick-borne encephalitis, malaria).
It is expected that the annual runoff in lowland rivers in the European part of Russia and southern Siberia will decrease, which will reduce the water availability of the population. Droughts will become more frequent and widespread, which will hit agricultural production. Pests of forest ecosystems, such as the gypsy moth, will become widespread. In general, a serious reduction in forest resources is expected due to the increase in the frequency of fires and an increase in the area of fire.
The consequences of melting permafrost will also be serious. The normal operation of all types of infrastructure, including roads, pipelines, buildings and engineering structures, including those related to the extractive industries, will be disrupted. In this regard, environmental pollution with oil products, toxic and even radioactive substances is possible.
While the report highlights possible mitigation measures, the problem cannot be solved without a global shift to renewable energy sources (RES). According to Rosstat, in Russia in 2017 the share of electricity generated by RES was only 0.23 percent.