Russia loses 468 square kilometers every year to erosion and the melting of permafrost areas, the TASS news agency reported, citing a scientist from the Siberian department of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
"Every year due to melting of the permafrost along coasts of northern seas we are losing a territory, comparable with the territory of Andorra," said the scientist, whose name was not given, TASS reported Monday.
The southern coasts are not immune to erosion, but the rate is much quicker in the north where storms and the sea can eat up to 10 meters into the coastline.
Over the past 40 years, the permafrost line has moved northward 30 kilometers, according to the scientist.
The melting of the permafrost border could raise temperatures and lead to water shortages, particularly in Russia's fertile southern regions of Stavropol and Krasnodar, TASS reported.
In 2003, Russian President Vladimir Putin told an international climate conference that warmer temperatures would mean Russians "spend less on fur coats" and "agricultural specialists say our grain production will increase, and thank God for that."
Putin now acknowledges that global warming may exist, but he remains skeptical that the changes are a result of human activity.
Ahead of the December UN climate change summit in Paris, Putin has pledged only modest emission cuts, the Reuters news agency reported last month.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
