ST. PETERSBURG, August 21. /TASS/. Global warming may bring back the climatic conditions that were on the planet 6-7 thousand years ago, and for Russia this may open up new economic prospects as well as major infrastructural risks, Dean of the Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University's Geography Department, Doctor of Geography Dmitry Subetto said.
"These conditions (the forecasted warming - TASS) were on the planet some 6-7 thousand years ago," the university's press service quoted the scientist as saying. "Back then, the World Ocean's level was higher; in the St. Petersburg area, the level of the ancient Baltic was higher than the present-time level by 10 meters. The city's current urban areas, like the Commandant's airfield, the Vasilyevsky Island — were under water. The climate has made it possible to grow more thermophilic crops and to carry out agricultural work for longer."
The climate change within the next 10-20 years will bring for Russia "a complex combination of prospects and challenges," he continued. Among potential benefits, the scientist highlighted the agricultural border shift northbound (in particular, the expansion of productive land in Western Siberia and in the Urals), a longer navigation period on the Northern Sea Route, which will make easier the cargo transportation between Europe and Asia, and lower heating costs in some regions due to the softening of winter temperatures.
At the same time, Russia may face major risks over the period of 10-20 years. The most critical there is the degradation of perennially frozen ground covering significant Arctic territories. Melting of soils can lead to deformation of building foundations, destruction of pipelines and transport lines. The scientist also warned about the increased frequency of extreme weather events - droughts and floods.
"The dam protects St. Petersburg from rising waters in the Gulf of Finland, but it may become insufficient," the expert said. "The increased surge events require constant monitoring."
Getting adapted to the new conditions, the scientist believes, requires upgraded infrastructures in the permafrost zones, developing climate-resistant plant varieties, and integrating climatic factors into strategic planning as well as in urban planning.