Igor Makarov spoke at the Eastern Economic Forum

At the Eastern Economic Forum, Igor Makarov took part in two sessions devoted to climate policy and the adaptation of the economy to new challenges.

Two discussions featuring Igor Makarov, Head of the Laboratory for Climate Change Economics at the Higher School of Economics, were held on the sidelines of the Forum. The first session, "Russia’s Climate Compass: Strategies for Regional Adaptation in an Era of Change", was organised by HSE, while the second, "Business in the Climate Tomorrow: Risks and Adaptation", was hosted by Udokan Copper.

In his remarks, Igor Makarov emphasised that Russia’s climatic and socio-economic conditions are highly diverse, and therefore risks manifest differently across regions. He noted that it is impossible to respond to all threats due to limited resources, making prioritisation essential.

To address this, a team of HSE researchers developed a ranking of Russian regions according to their need for climate change adaptation. The results show that the Russian Far East is among the country’s most vulnerable macro-regions. Three Far Eastern entities – the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Amur Region, and Republic of Buryatia – are in the national top five for risks associated with permafrost thawing. Primorye Territory, Amur Region, and Khabarovsk Territory are among the leaders in terms of extreme precipitation risks, while the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and Khabarovsk Territory are in the top five for wildfire risks.

Igor Makarov also highlighted that three Far Eastern entities – Amur Region, Trans-Baikal Territory, and Khabarovsk Territory – simultaneously rank in the top quartile for three types of climate risk.

He emphasised that the ranking is a flexible tool that should be further developed at the municipality level. This would allow "hotspots" to be identified more precisely and mechanisms for joint investment in adaptation to be designed, involving business as well as regional and federal authorities. According to Igor Makarov, such mechanisms are currently virtually non-existent in Russia, and establishing this foundation would be an important step towards the sustainable development of these regions.