Assessment of Climate Risks for The Livelihood of the Rural Population of the Russia’s European North (on the Example of Primorsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast)

The article, based on the materials of a sociological study conducted in summer 2022 in the Primorsky district of Arkhangelsk oblast, examines the impact of climate change on the livelihoods of the rural population of Russia’s European North. Data on climate change in the Primorsky district are presented. It has been shown that against the backdrop of global warming, the dynamics of hazardous hydrometeorological phenomena that impact the economy and society are changing. As a result of in-depth interviews with rural residents of the Primorsky district, it was revealed that the greatest threat to their livelihoods is posed by strong (storm) winds, fog, thaws, floods, changes in the timing of ice formation, and drift ice. These hazardous natural and climatic phenomena and processes have a negative impact on shipping, fishing, and food and medical security of local residents, as well as on the state of the infrastructure of villages. The vulnerability of the local population and its ability to adapt to climate change were assessed. It was found that villagers do not perceive climate change as the main threat to their livelihoods, but view it through the prism of more important and pressing socioeconomic problems. Adaptation of the rural population to climate change is reactive in nature and is based on the application of traditional knowledge and skills in the process of life. The results of the study can be used to develop regional strategies and measures to adapt northern communities to climate change.