Russian Federation
Climate change impacts
It takes only 217 days for the average Canadian to produce as much greenhouse gases as the average Russian will produce over the course of the entire year. Therefore, August 5th (217 days into the year) is "Climate Change Impacts in Russia Day."
Climate Change will prove to have profound impacts on Russia’s environment, economy and society. Environmental concerns include fresh water scarcity (due in part to irrational use of water and fresh water waste), thawing of permafrost impacting natural ecosystems, and melting of Arctic glaciers. Economic concerns are centered around a sufficient water supply, involving agriculture, forestry, water supply systems, buildings and engineering constructions, transportation infrastructure in the permafrost zones as some of the most vulnerable sectors. Finally, social concerns are linked with increased and overwhelming poverty, increased spread of diseases, and multiple varying health concerns.
For more information, see Oxfam’s report, 'Russia and Neighbouring Countries: Environmental, Economic and Social Impacts of Climate Change'.
Story
“My name is Vladilen Ivanovich Kavry. I live in a village called Vankarem, in the Chukotka region, located at the far eastern edge of Russia on the coast of the Chukchi Sea. Chukotka is an autonomous region, or Okrug. My people are Chukchi, and we speak our native language, Chukot, as well as Russian.
I was born in 1966 and I have lived here all my life. For generations my people have hunted marine mammals and herded reindeer for our livelihood. There are about 200 people in my village and several thousand more people living in villages spread out along the coast. We live surrounded by Artic wildlife and are use to the frozen conditions, strong winds and ice storms.
In the winter the sea freezes and the rivers close over. We have been able to walk on the sea ice for generations. Our village is on Cape Vankarem, a unique natural area where there is one of the largest walrus haulout site in north-eastern Russia.”
To continue reading Vladilen’s story, visit WWF’s Climate Witness page.
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