Adaptation of the Russian Hydrological Monitoring Network to Climate Change: Challenges and Prospects

The paper examines the current state of the national hydrological monitoring network, which includes the main network of hydrological observations on rivers, canals, lakes, and reservoirs and the network of special observations at water balance and swamp stations, as well as stations for observations of evaporation from various types of the underlying surface. The readiness of the existing system to meet the challenges associated with climate change is assessed. The necessity of deploying an adaptive hydrological monitoring system (AHMS) integrating stationary and mobile hydrological observation stations supplemented by expeditionary research is substantiated. As an example, the results of the first stage of the major investment project of national significance on the development of the AHMS in the Kuban River basin are given.