Energetically Active Climate-Forming Regions as Revealed from Data on Surface Evaporation from Land and Ocean

Antonovsky, M.Y. & Kolosov, P.A. (1987). Energetically Active Climate-Forming Regions as Revealed from Data on Surface Evaporation from Land and Ocean. IIASA Working Paper. IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria: WP-87-064

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Abstract

As is well known, a considerable part of the USSR belongs to marginal climatic regions that are permafrost, tundra, desert and mountains. Bioproductivity potential in the USSR is at least two times less than, for example, in the USA. A substantial part of the agricultural activity is held on marginal agricultural regions (dry, cold and high altitude). The total agricultural production in the country fluctuates from year to year as a result of climate impact. For example, the difference of total crop production in the extremely unfavorable year 1975, when severe drought damaged vast territories of the country, and the favorable year of 1976, was approximately 40%.

Besides agriculture many other branches of the national economy -- transport, sport. construction, energy demand and production -- also largely depend on climatic conditions. It is now evident that technology development cannot completely remove the dependence of society on climate. It is excepted that significant climate changes may occur in various parts of the USSR. Therefore, Soviet policy makers consider climate impact analysis as a very important component in establishing, particularly long-term, state plans. A special feature of the Soviet planning system is that plans for short-term periods (5 years) and long-term (up to 20 years) are now made. Such a period. as considered by climatologists, is the period when substantial climatic changes may occur in the Northern Hemisphere.

Hence, the establishment of a climate monitoring system based on a mechanism which truly corresponds to reality is very important from many points of view.

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