Public assessment of social and economic effects of climate change based on the case of the republic of tatarstan

Abstract

© 2018 Moskovskij Universitet. All rights reserved. The results of a sociological survey aimed at identifying the views of experts and general public on climate change in Tatarstan and Russia, as well as at the assessment of social, environmental and economic impacts, and possible ways of minimizing the negative effects of climate change for the Republic of Tatarstan, are discussed. The study was performed as a part of an interdisciplinary project, which targets at studying the modem global and regional processes of climate change, their natural, social and environmental impacts in the Volga Federal District. The results of the study highlighted that both experts and general public related the awareness of vulnerability to climate anomalies with, on the one hand, the general feeling unwell, the pressure swing and the emergence of new pathogenic viruses and bacteria, and, on the other hand, with phenomena relating to different socio-economic characteristics of the Republic, i.e. hot weather, cold weather, droughts, floods, large amount of precipitation, rising mean annual temperatures, soil freezing etc. Certain advantages resulting from the climate change were revealed, such as the shorter heating period or the longer period of vegetation. The increased environmental culture and environmental awareness of all social agents, the economic and legal regulation, for example, in the case of cleaner production, and the introduction of non-waste technologies are suggested as effective social adaptation measures. Negligence of the federal and local authorities to climate change problems was also pointed out. The lack of regional strategies to mitigate climate change and reduce its negative effects as well as poor harmonization in addressing the problems associated with the climate policy could enhance social and economic risks in the long term.