Siberia
Introduction
Siberia is a vast region of Russia that lies east of the Ural Mountains, stretching from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Pacific Ocean in the East and the borders of Mongolia and China in the south. The region is home to some of the world's coldest temperatures and most extreme weather conditions.
Siberia is one of the world's largest and most sparsely populated regions. The population of Siberia is estimated at around 34 million people, spread over an area of more than 13 million square kilometers.
The climate of Siberia has long, cold winters and short, cool summers. The average January temperature in Siberia is -20°C, while the average July temperature is +17°C. However, temperatures can vary widely depending on location, with some areas experiencing temperatures as low as -60°C in winter, and as high as +37°C in summer amidst record-breaking heat waves in 2023.[1]
Siberia is home to a number of important ecosystems, such as the taiga (boreal forest)[2] and the tundra; and a major source of Russia's natural resources, including oil, gas, coal, and timber. [3]These ecosystems are threatened by the impacts of climate change, as well as by the activities of humans, such as logging and mining.
Climate Crises
Permafrost Melting
Bioregional Context
Siberia is one of the world's most environmentally sensitive regions. The region is especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to its large area of permafrost which is thawing as the climate warms. This thawing permafrost is releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which is further contributing to global warming in a positive feedback loop.
Feedback Loop
This feedback loop, if not reversed, will release more carbon emissions (CO2 + CH4) than is currently contained in the entirety of the Earth's atmosphere - an amount four times greater than total greenhouse emissions since the launch of the industrial revolution.[4]
New Pandemics
In 2014 scientists revived a giant but harmless virus, dubbed Pithovirus sibericum, that had been locked in the Siberian permafrost for more than 30,000 years. [5] This has fueled fears that similar harmful 'novel' ancient viruses which have been frozen for tens of millennia could also be newly released.
Massive Wildfires
In August of 2021, the Washington Post reported that "Siberia’s wildfires are bigger than all the world’s other blazes combined" [6]
Unprecedented for the region (going back at least 3400 years): https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac4b53
Climate Action
Protected Areas
Reforestation
Climate-Friendly Technologies
Sources
Add Citations
Fact Check
Works Cited
- ↑ https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/08/asia/heat-wave-siberia-climate-intl/index.html
- ↑ The world's largest biome: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/forests.php#boreal
- ↑ For instance, 70% of the petroleum produced by Russia is extracted from the Western Siberian Basin. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Siberian_petroleum_basin
- ↑ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210209113807.htm
- ↑ https://www.sciencealert.com/as-permafrost-melts-ancient-viruses-and-now-fuel-spills-are-being-unleashed
- ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/08/11/siberia-fires-russia-climate/