Russia is experiencing a rapid rise in temperatures, with its territory warming at almost twice the global rate, according to a leading Russian climate scientist. Sergey Semenov, scientific director of the Institute of Global Climate and Ecology in Moscow, warned that the country's Far North region is heating up the fastest, with some areas experiencing temperature increases of up to 2.5 to 2.8 times faster than the global average.
The Taymyr Peninsula, Russia's largest peninsula in the Far North, has seen a staggering 0.8C to 1.2C (1.4F to 2.1F) increase in temperature over the past decade, with some areas experiencing a rise of up to 0.51C (0.91F) per decade.
While the overall trend is an increase in precipitation across Russia, there are also areas experiencing a decrease in annual precipitation, particularly in Western Siberia and the Far East. Summer precipitation is also decreasing in these regions, which is concerning for crop production.
The melting of snow cover is another concern, with many areas experiencing a decrease in snow cover height. This is particularly problematic for agriculture in Russia's European part, where permafrost conditions are prevalent.
The extreme heat waves experienced in Russia have also been linked to an increase in climate-related diseases and infections. The warm temperatures are also pushing up the probability of the spread of diseases such as ixodes tick-borne borreliosis and tick-borne viral encephalitis.
However, Semenov pointed out that there may be some economic benefits to the warming trend, including the potential for increased crop production and the opening up of new opportunities for development in the Arctic region.
The scientist emphasized the need for global climate justice and called for concrete steps to be taken to address climate change. He stressed that humanity needs to focus on achieving sustainable development goals and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the effects of climate change.
"Scientists often say global agricultural productivity will increase with a 1C to 2C rise in average global temperature, but this is a generalization as productivity could increase in some countries and drop in others," Semenov said. "Humanity may need to develop a general idea of the proportions on which to focus when it comes to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to a changing climate."
News ID : 3501