„Baltic Challenges and Chances for local
development generated by Climate Change“
Target Area Assessment
Pskov State Polytechnic Institute
Vulnerability Assessments Phase
2. Exercise 2 – Climatic Stressor mapping
and
regional
2. Exercise 2 – Climatic Stressor mapping
In the frame of this exercise we developed and distributed a questionnaire
containing the most relevant climatic stressors for the Bezhanitskiy Rayon agriculture
and housing and asked respondents to evaluate significance of each stressor using 5
grades (where 1 – the less significant stressor and 5 – the most significant stressor).
Then we deduced an average grade. Also respondents had an opportunity to suggest
other climatic stressors not included in the questionnaire. All the respondents were from
the Bezhanitskiy Rayon and presented different sectors of Rayon’s economy: housing,
agriculture, meteorology, government, etc. The number of respondents was 20 people.
As a result of the exercise we got the list of the most significant climatic
stressors.
#
Warm
winters
Total
precipitation
Cloudiness
3,9
Signifi
cance
for BR
agricul
ture
2,6
2,4
4,4
increasing
1,6
2,3
increasing
Instability of
snow cover
Flooding
2,3
3,4
increasing
3
3,5
increasing
6.
Instability
ice cover
1,9
1,3
increasing
7.
Forest fires
2,7
3,5
increasing
8.
Storms
2
3
increasing
9.
Extant
wetlands
2,1
2,6
increasing
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Climatic
stressor
Significa
nce for
BR
housing
of
of
Direction
of
change
Spatial extent
Time / Duration
increasing
Bezhanitskiy
Rayon
Porechenskoye”
settlement
“Polistovskoye”
settlement
Bezhanitskiy
Rayon
“Dobryvichevska
ya Volost’”
Bezhanitskiy
Rayon
Usually Decembers and
Januaries are warm
Mostly in springs and
summers
Mostly in summertime
Bezhanitskiy
Rayon
“Polistovskoye”
settlement
“Polistovskoye”
settlement
In winter
Mostly in springs
Usually in Decembers
and Januaries because
of warm days
In summers and early
autumn months
During a year
Spring, summer, autumn
Climatic stressors which get an average grade less than 1,5 weren’t included in
the list.
Conclusions:
 Main climatic stressors for housing:
1. Too warm winters (score 3,9)
2. Fires (score 2,7)
3. Over precipitation (score 2,4)
4. Snow cover instability (score 2,3)

Main climatic stressors for agriculture:
1. Over precipitation (score 4,4)
2. Spring floods (score 3,7)
3. Fires (score 3,5)
4. Snow cover instability (score 3,4)
Challenges connected with climatic stressors in Bezhanitskiy Rayon:

Agriculture:
1. Bogging and bushing of agricultural lands
2. Changing of sowing terms
3. Reorientation of agricultural lands
4. Decreasing of sowing areas
5. Feed degradation

Housing:
1. Changing of heating season terms
2. Constructions protection
3. Heat shielding
4. Resources supply
Chances connected with climatic stressors in the Bezhanitskiy Rayon:

Agriculture:
o Changing of sowing terms
o New spices of crops and live-stock occurring

Housing:
o Decrease of cold periods duration and saving of heating resources
o Changes in building technologies