YAKUTSK, July 10. /TASS/. Experts of Yakutia's Arctic Research Center will assess potential damage to climatically vulnerable state-owned facilities in the region, the center's representative, Doctor of Economics, Head of the Interdisciplinary Arctic Research Department Tuyara Gavrilyeva told TASS.
"We have broken all objects into three groups: buildings and structures, linear objects and land plots. Our task now is to compare them with the received list of climate risks, forecasts for the region and to determine which objects are potentially in the zone of high or extremely high negative impact," she said.
In early 2025, the center's experts completed an assessment of climate risks for Yakutia's municipal districts and economic zones. At the first stage, they conducted a retrospective risk assessment minding natural phenomena that had occurred earlier. The studied period was 2014-2024. The average number of climate risks in municipalities is 15 out of 25 assessed, but the average number of very dangerous or catastrophic risks, to which it is necessary to get prepared in advance and to apply a full range of adaptation measures, is 4.1.
"It's quite expected that South Yakutia is subject to fewer climate risks (the average number of high-level risks is 2.5), slightly higher risks are in Western Yakutia (3.1), followed by the Arctic (13 villages with an average number of risks - 4.2) and Central Yakutia (4.4). In Eastern Yakutia's three districts the average number of risks is 5.3, where atmospheric risks prevail (2.7)," the expert said.
Highest climate risks (5-7 catastrophic and very dangerous risks) are in the northeast and east, including three districts of Eastern Yakutia (Oymyakonsky, Tomponsky, Ust-Maysky) and five villages in the Eastern Arctic (Allaikhovsky, Verkhnekolymsky, Momsky, Nizhnekolymsky, Srednekolymsky). The average number of risks in this group is 15.9 versus 15.3 in the entire region, and the average number of risks of a very dangerous and catastrophic level is 5.1 versus 4.1.
The second stage is analyzing the degree of how objects are exposed to a possible damage and calculating it. These data will form the basis for the subsequent development and implementation of adaptation measures. "In the changing climate, especially with the increasing vulnerability of buildings, roads and other facilities, it is extremely important to understand the scale of potential damage to make more accurately investment and infrastructure plans, as well as to use effectively resources for adaptation," she added.
Regional adaptation plan
In April 2025, Yakutia got a regional climate change adaptation plan for 2025-2027. The work will be coordinated by the region's Ministry of Economy and Ministry of Ecology, Nature Management and Forestry. The Arctic Research Center performs scientific and analytical work on risk assessment and necessary adaptation solutions.
The updated climate change adaptation plan covers a wide range of tasks, from flood control and permafrost melting to preventing forest fires and increasing agricultural resilience to droughts.
The central element will be to create an information system for hydraulic structures - 192 facilities will be connected to it by 2027. Construction of a major engineering flood protection facility will begin in Verkhoyansk, and dam reconstruction projects will be developed for other areas. Along with this, the region will have a special adaptation project minding climate risks.
According to the document, the region will start putting together a unified geotechnical monitoring base in Yakutsk - to monitor more than 400 objects, and will have an interactive permafrost assessment model. The Melnikov Permafrost Institute will participate in its development.
With the rising summer temperatures, the region will undertake a range of measures to cut vulnerability to heat waves and droughts. An artificial precipitation system will be deployed - it will cover up to 59% of municipalities. Agriculture will use new methods of irrigation and moisture conservation. Yakutia will develop forest fire protection systems. The Silvan system's monitoring will be enhanced, and the region will double the number of lightning direction finding points. Predicting fires using artificial intelligence will be a key task. The local forest management data will be digitized.
In the changing climate, Yakutia intends to use emerging opportunities. Together with scientific institutions, the region will introduce new varieties of crops adapted to the changed conditions and will launch a public education program in half of the municipalities.