Russia contains the largest area of natural forests in the world, covering 49% of Russia’s landmass and 815 million hectares, 23% of the planet’s total forest area. Yet, much of the country’s forests are under the threats of rapid deforestation. From 2001 to 2019, Russia lost 64 million hectares of relative tree cover, equivalent to an 8.4% decrease since 2000 and 17% of the global total. In 2018 alone, Russia lost 5.6 million hectares of tree cover followed by Brazil with nearly 3 million. What obstacles does Russia face in preventing deforestation?

Russia’s forests stretch from the Baltic Sea to the Sea of Japan, encompassing the last wild forests of Europe and a substantial portion of the vast wilderness of Siberia. With their ability to soak up carbon dioxide and expel oxygen, the world’s forests are often referred to as the “planet’s lungs.”

Poor Forest Management

The forests of Russia are owned by the state and are used for commercial reasons by the private sector. Forests can only be licensed as concessions to enterprises for one to 49 years, but the Office of the President of the Russian Federation reported an approximate 66% increase in illegal logging from 2008 to 2013 in the Russian Federation.

Action to combat illegal deforestation is taken by the Federal Forestry Agency of Russia, which is responsible for forest policy, regulation of forests as well as enacting new laws. The 2013 Russian Roundwood Act requires the timber process to have documentation for Roundwood transportation, logs of valuable hardwoods and Roundwood sales to be declared in an open-source database alongside the implementation of penalties for non-compliance with the law concerning the Roundwood transaction declaration.

Additionally, an export tax in 2008 aimed to restrict log exports, reduce the loss of forest resources and increase domestic processing, jobs, and revenue for the domestic forestry industry.

Despite this, there are millions of hectares where it is unclear whether they are agricultural or forest areas, making it difficult to understand where illegal logging takes place; the government and administrative bodies often lack the funds to get clear indications of this.

Most illegal logging occurs through permits being issued illegally. The UN has stated that 14.2% of timber firms experienced at least one bribe payment request in 2012 with an overall lack of transparency during concession licensing processes with unfair competition and licences issued based on auctions to the highest bidder or given to individuals with connections to the issuing authorities.

In general, with little oversight by the government and high levels of corruption, many illegal timber activities are left unchallenged resulting in deforestation in Russia occurring unabated.

China’s Wood Demand

China is the world’s largest importer of logs and lumber in the world, becoming a global wood product remanufacturing and redistribution centre. 48.3% of these lumber imports to China are supplied by Russia.

By Russia feeding China’s colossal appetite for wood, China has brought jobs and cash to regions of Russia. Yet China has sharply restricted domestic logging to preserve its own forests, as well as Russian timber facilities to only be staffed by Chinese labour.

Ms Avdoshkevich, the Kansk City Council member said that the Chinese timber barons based in China simply ship as much wood as they can, as quickly as possible, to China, without investment in manufacturing in Russia and without regard to environmental damage.

It is estimated that around 20% of the Russian wood exported to China is felled illegally, helping Russia to become a global leader in forest depletion.

Furthermore, corruption is allegedly widespread in the Russian timber industry. Nikolay Shmatkov from the WWF believes that the law enforcement officials are stretched to their limits and that they stand by without taking action with Russian forestry workers who sell the timber without necessary permissions to China.

Although China’s timber rush has temporarily stimulated Russia’s local economies, it has also stoked localised Russian public anger against China unwilling to let Russia truly benefit from its timber investments while destroying its forests.

Raging Wildfires

Since the start of 2020, it’s estimated by Greenpeace International that fires have burnt through 20 million hectares of the Russian landscape, an area bigger than Greece, and about 10.9 million hectares of forest.

The Forestry Agency says the authorities will not extinguish 91% of the fires because they are located in “control zones.” Forests fall into control zones when the fires have no effect on local populations and when the cost of extinguishing them is greater than the residual damage of the fires.

“The role of fires in climate change is underestimated. Most of the fires are man-made,” said Grigory Kuksin, head of the fire protection department at Greenpeace Russia.

While the Russian government has previously declared states of emergency and dispatched the military to help firefighting efforts, local authorities have dismissed the wildfires as a natural occurrence, saying that putting out wildfires is not economically viable.

Environmental Damage in Russia Beyond Deforestation

In addition to the destruction of carbon-absorbing forests across Russia, the carbon dioxide, smoke and soot released have increased temperatures, with the winter of 2019 being the warmest winter in 130 years according to the Russian Hydrometeorological Research Center. It is these conditions that have invigorated heat and dry tundra conditions triggering forest fires along the Arctic Circle.

“Now we are seeing these fires within 15 kilometres of the Arctic Ocean,” according to Greg Henry, a climatologist and tundra researcher at the University of British Columbia. “Usually there’s not much fuel to burn there, because it’s kept cold by the ocean so you don’t get ignition of fires that far north.”

In turn, by burning so close to the Arctic, the fires are contributing to the thawing of Arctic permafrost which, in some cases, can lead to sudden ground collapse. The Western Russian Arctic is experiencing some of the highest rates of permafrost degradation globally with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecasting that by 2050, near-surface permafrost in the Northern Hemisphere may shrink by 15 to 30%.

“When surface soil rich in organic matter burns, it places the permafrost at risk which serves as an insulator against warm summer temperatures,” explains Sue Natali, Arctic programme director at Woods Hole Research Centre.

Permafrost degradation risks the collapsing of infrastructure as well as the release of carbon feedback.

Another implication of forest fires in the Arctic Circle is the burning of peatlands, carbon-rich soils that accumulate as waterlogged plants slowly decay, sometimes over thousands of years. These are the most carbon-dense ecosystems on Earth; a typical northern peatland packs in roughly ten times as much carbon as a boreal forest and nearly half the world’s peatland-stored carbon lies between 60 and 70 degrees north, along the Arctic Circle.

As a result of Arctic wildfires, northern peatlands could eventually shift from being a sink for carbon to a source, further dramatically accelerating climate change.

Russia ’s lacklustre response to tackle deforestation is in line with the country’s low commitment to addressing climate change, relying heavily on the oil and gas industry as well as having a poor record of enforcing green initiatives that could have greater negative global climate effects simply from not addressing deforestation and for short-term economic gains.

Norovirus is a highly contagious viral infection that causes your intestines to become inflamed. As a result of the inflammation, you’ll likely experience symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. Generally, these symptoms develop about 12 hours to two days after exposure to the virus. In most cases, symptoms go away on their own within three days as your body fights off the infection.

Keep in mind: while this condition is sometimes referred to as a stomach bug or the stomach flu, norovirus is not the same as influenza (flu) virus. But, norovirus is very common. In fact, in the U.S., researchers estimate that the virus causes about 20 million cases of diarrhea and vomiting each year. That said, it’s important to understand the symptoms and know when to see medical attention.

Common Symptoms

Norovirus is a common cause of gastroenteritis—which is a term to describe any type of inflammation in the stomach and intestines. As such, it’s common to experience symptoms that mainly affect your digestive tract—a tube that connects your mouth to your anus and includes organs like your esophagus, stomach, and intestines.

It’s worth noting that some people who contract norovirus don’t experience any symptoms at all. But, they can still spread the infection to other people. Because the virus is so contagious, you can spread norovirus even before symptoms start and two days after your symptoms go away.

Diarrhea

The most common symptom of norovirus is diarrhea. Researchers have found that diarrhea occurs in over 87% of all norovirus cases. Diarrhea causes loose, watery stools (poop). You may also feel a need to use the bathroom more often. Generally, this symptom will resolve on its own within three days. But it may take longer for people over 65 and toddlers or infants.

Nausea and Vomiting

When you become exposed to norovirus, you can expect several bouts of nausea and vomiting. This means you feel sick to your stomach and may have to throw up. People with this infection tend to experience these symptoms multiple times a day, usually for one to three days. In one study, researchers found about 25.5% of those exposed to norovirus experience these symptoms. Children, those older than 65, or people with autoimmune conditions may experience symptoms longer.

Stomach Pain

Another common sign of norovirus infection is stomach pain. This symptom usually happens when the lining of your stomach becomes inflamed. Your stomach pain may feel like severe or sharp cramping.

Less Common Symptoms

Alongside the digestive symptoms, norovirus can also cause other, less common issues in your body. These symptoms include a fever with a temperature over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, chills, headache, muscle aches, and joint pain. Some people might experience leukocytosis (high white blood cell count) and thrombocytopenia (a low level of platelets, a type of blood cell that helps form clots after injury) when they have norovirus.

Rare Symptoms

Over time, norovirus-related vomiting and diarrhea may sometimes lead to fluid loss and dehydration. Being dehydrated can lead to serious consequences or even become fatal, especially if you’re very young, older than 65, or have another underlying health condition.

The typical signs of dehydration are:

• Urinating less frequently
• Sweating less than usual
• Very dark-colored urine
• Increased thirst
• Sore throat
• Dry mouth or dry skin
• Dizziness that worsens when you stand up
• Fatigue

Because those who have weakened immune systems tend to have symptoms for longer, dehydration can become even more severe among people who are immunocompromised. Serious complications of dehydration, such as confusion, fainting, lack of urination, elevated heart rate, rapid breathing, and shock, are medical emergencies that can occur in rare instances. Drinking water and increasing your fluid intake are important when you have norovirus.

Symptoms in Children

Since this infection is highly contagious and spreads through close contact, norovirus is relatively common in infants, toddlers, and young children. Norovirus symptoms in children are similar to the symptoms adults experience. If your child has norovirus, they may experience:

• Diarrhea
• Nausea and vomiting
• Headache and body pain
• Fever or chills
• Dry mouth or tongue
• Crying without producing tears
• Lack of diaper wetting for three or more hours
• Irritability or restlessness
• Excessive sleepiness or drowsiness

When to Contact a Healthcare Provider

While most cases of norovirus infection resolve on their own, some cases can become very serious. In addition, potentially dangerous bacterial or viral infections can cause symptoms that are similar to norovirus symptoms. That said, knowing when to contact a healthcare provider—or call for emergency help—is critical.

In general, if you’ve had symptoms for longer than three days or are unable to hold down food or liquids, you should call your healthcare provider. If you or a loved one are experiencing severe symptoms of dehydration (such as fainting, lack of urination, and rapid breathing), it’s important to get medical care urgently.

A Quick Review

Norovirus is a highly contagious infection that causes inflammation of the digestive tract. Symptoms of this infection usually occur between 12 and 48 hours of exposure to the virus. If you contract this infection, it’s common to experience symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain. But, norovirus can also cause symptoms like fever, chills, and dehydration. If you have symptoms for three or more days or are experiencing severe symptoms of dehydration, it’s best to see your healthcare provider immediately for medical support.