Russia faces disease, drought from global warming: WWF

AFP, July, 2008

MOSCOW (AFP) — Russia faces an increase in disease, drought and damage to infrastructure because of climate change, the environmental group WWF said on Tuesday, urging the authorities to "take a lead" on the issue.

"We're very worried.... We have to act in time. Some regions of Russia need urgent attention," Alexei Kokorin, a WWF researcher and one of the authors of the report, said at a press conference in Moscow presenting a new study.

Drawing attention to an issue that is only beginning to be discussed in Russia, WWF said the authorities should press to reduce global emissions and adopt a strategy for dealing with the effects of climate change.

"We must understand that damage caused by climate change is here and now rather than a problem in the distant future.... There's a lot at stake, including our health," said Igor Chestin, head ...