Russia Final Hazards Report
The most common disasters that occur in Russia are a result of the permafrost in Siberia, which causes floods in the spring and forest fires in the summer and fall. Global warming is causing the rapid melting of the permafrost which results in floods during the colder seasons. In contrast, the vegetation is unaccustomed to the unprecedented temperatures in the summer and often suffers from uncontrolled blazes. While these developments have sporadically increased in the past few years due to climate change, they have occurred before. In July 2012, severe flooding killed 172 people and collapsed 7,200 homes. Two years prior in July more than 20 regions of the Russian Federation saw 30,000 wildfires due to a 40° Celsius heatwave that killed more than fifty people and burned down 2,200 houses.
While climate change has caused flooding and wildfires to occur more frequently, they are not the worst disasters to affect Russia historically. The total 33 tsunami tidal wives that have hit Russia's shores since 1737 have killed a combined 4,072 people. In comparison to most other countries, tsunamis are a frequent occurrence with waves that have reached the height of ninety meters. The 1952 9.0 earthquake in the Kamchatka Peninsula caused 4,000 of those deaths in Russia and caused damages in eleven other countries, wracking up a death toll of 10,000. While floods and wildfires are seasonal in Siberia, underwater earthquakes are difficult to predict and can be hard to defend from when they are known to reach devastating heights.
Mitigation against flooding involves property protection and structural enforcement to defend against water entering homes and destroying real estate. Investing in home insurance, keeping a detailed list of all your possessions, and having an evacuation plan is essential to keeping yourself and your home safe in the wake of a flood. Due to the increase in Siberian wildfires, Russia's government has revised and updated its Arctic fire regime to include evidence-based fire monitoring and management, prevention strategies, and the incorporation of local and Indigenous Arctic knowledge. The Circumpolar Wildland Fire Project was established by the Council of Emergency Preparedness, Prevention and Response to coordinate training and the response to fires in the Arctic region, and promote international cooperation and contracting of resources across State boundaries. Furthermore, firefighters deliver relief and aid to those harmed by wildfires with packages of clothing, water, food, bedding, and medicine.
Tsunamis are more difficult to defend against. Most practices involve avoiding settling in active regions, such as anywhere near the Kamchatka region where most earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcano eruptions occur. Fortunately, Russia has developed effective local tsunami warning stations that broadcast forecasts so citizens have enough time to prepare and evacuate. Conversely, the Siberian areas most affected by floods are the most populated and economically developed southern regions along the Ob, Lena, and Yenisei rivers and in the Lake Baikal basin. In contrast, Siberia's wildfires are concentrated in the Krasnoyarsk, Altai, Irkutsk, Kemerovo, Omsk, Kurgan regions, Khakassia, and Sakha republics.
To protect yourself against all of these disasters, it would be wise not to settle near any of these regions. Living in a city secluded from the environment would ensure the least amount of exposure to natural disasters. The cities of Nizhny Novgorod, St. Petersburg, and Moscow have respectively ranked as the top three safest cities in Russia. These cities are known for their safe infrastructure, economy, and low crime rates. All three are settled away from natural disaster hotspots and provide healthy and secure lifestyles for their residents.
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