ASSESSMENT OF CLIMATE RISKS TO RURAL LIFE IN THE EUROPEAN NORTH (Case Study of Primorsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast)
M.V. Nenasheva
Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov, Arkhangelsk, Russia
Keywords: climate change, assessment, rural population, livelihood, adaptation, European North, Arkhangelsk Oblast
Abstract
This article investigates the impact of climate change on the livelihoods of the rural population in the European North, specifically based on a sociological study conducted in the summer of 2022 in the Primorsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast. The paper presents data on climate change in the Primorsky District, showing that warming trends are altering the dynamics of dangerous hydrometeorological phenomena that affect the economy and society. In-depth interviews with rural residents revealed that the greatest threats to their livelihoods are strong (storm) winds, fog, thaws, floods, and changes in the timing of ice formation and ice drift. These hazardous natural and climatic phenomena negatively impact navigation, fishing, food and medical safety, and local infrastructure. The study assessed the vulnerability and adaptability of the local population to climate change. It found that villagers do not perceive climate change as the main threat to their livelihoods but view it through the lens of more pressing social and economic issues. Their adaptation to climate change is reactive, relying on traditional knowledge and skills. The results of this study can be used to develop regional strategies and measures for the adaptation of northern communities to climate change.
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