SECURITY IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE ALTAI HIGHLANDS: THE CASE OF THREE RUSSIAN REGIONS

THE 5TH CONGRESS OF SLAVIC GEOGRAPHERS AND ETHNOGRAPHERS (2024) (стр. 163-180)
 

АУТОР / AUTHOR(S): Svetlana G. Maximova , Daria A. Omelchenko , Daria K. Scheglova 

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DOI: 10.46793/CSGE5.163SM

САЖЕТАК / ABSTRACT:

Analysis of existing studies shows that insufficient attention has been paid to the relationship between security and climate change in mountain areas of Russia, where climatic processes are very intense. In particular, in the Altai mountains, an important center of glacier melting with diverse landscapes, the climate changes already caused not only reduction of ice‐sheet, but also provoked transformations of land use and conditions of life of rural population living in highlands. The sociological research, accompanying geological and glaciological study and including face‐to‐face structured (n = 912) and semi‐structured (n = 72) interview with population and experts (n = 163) was conducted in 2022–2023 in three highland areas of the Altai mountains (the Republic of Altai, the Republic of Tyva and the Altai krai). The main focus of the study was to evaluate subjective perceptions of climate change along with repertory of security indicators on the base of mixed qualitative and quantitative design. It was found that all mountain regions were perceived as epicenters of climatic threats, but possessed a specialization, determined by peculiarities of landscape and typical land and nature use. Over half of inhabitants assessed living near melting glaciers as dangerous, and were affected by the changes in traditional economic activities, constituting important part of family income. The national republics had similar risk perception profiles, with a significant share of seismic, thermal and hydrological factors, whereas the Altai krai foothills were characterized by the predominance of risks associated with changes in precipitation regime, floods and snow level. The anxiety of people was often related to difficulties of farming (livestock deaths, lack of fodder), economic and social uncertainty.

КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ / KEYWORDS:

climate change; glacier melting; highland territories of the Russian Altai; perception of risks and security; regional security issues

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