COP27: Russia calls for helping countries in need

Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation and Presidential Special Envoy for Climate Affairs, Edelgeriyev Ruslan, took part Tuesday in a roundtable discussion about water security within the framework of the high-level segment of the 27th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention on climate change (COP27).

The discussion was chaired by Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Senegal's President, Macky Sall.

The speech of the head of the Russian delegation focused on Russia's position on ensuring water security under climate change around the world and the prospects for co-operation in this area.

Ruslan said that the Russian Federation ranks second in the world in terms of freshwater reserves.

We pay special attention, he said, to the effective and comprehensive management of water resources.

He described these resources as of 'paramount importance' for sustainable development and the ability to overcome international challenges.

He noted that large-scale national projects are being implemented in Russia to improve the conditions of its largest water bodies, such as Lake Baikal, the deepest in the world, and the Volga, the largest river in Europe.

A single register is created on the basis of an electronic platform for calculating drinking water reserves and ensuring their rational use, Ruslan said.

He said the theme of the roundtable is relevant, given the impact of climate change.

The Russian official said climate change poses a serious challenge to the world's water supply.

Disturbances in water cycles, he said, threaten to change the hydrological balance of wetlands and release huge amounts of methane.

"The risk of flooding in settlements doubles," Ruslan said.

He referred to the need for taking effective measures to mitigate the effects of climate change and adapt to the situation.

He called for paying close attention to monitoring the state of permafrost, as well as glaciers high in the mountains.

Ruslan noted that the Russian government intends to start in the near future the second stage of the implementation of the National Adaptation Plan, part of which includes the adaptation of coastal communities and the water management complex.

He welcomed the International Decade of Action, which adopts the title 'Water for Sustainable Development'.

The Russian official also welcomed the next UN conference in March 2023 to review the implementation of its goals, as well as the proclamation of the World Day and the International Year of Glaciers on the initiative of Tajikistan.

"We consider it important to strengthen action within the framework of the convention on the protection and the use of trans-boundary watercourses and international lakes on the platform of UNESCO and other specialized organizations," Ruslan said.

"At the same time, we believe that the solutions applied to improve the water situation should be developed mainly at the local and regional levels based on the peculiarities of specific geographical points," he added.

He called for increased cross-border co-operation and financial and technological assistance in favour of countries in need to implement the projects they really need.