ٍSharjah 24 - AFP: President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said the scale of natural disasters that have hit Russia this year is "absolutely unprecedented" as local officials ask for Moscow's help to tackle fires and floods.
A former skeptic of man-made climate change, the Russian leader called on authorities to do everything possible to help Siberians affected by the region's gigantic wildfires, as well as Russians living in the flood-hit south of the country.
Speaking at a video conference with the leaders of the affected eastern and southern regions, Putin said he received daily reports on the climate situation in the country.
"In the south (of Russia), the monthly norm of rainfall now falls in a few hours and in the Far East on the contrary, forest fires in drought conditions are spreading rapidly," Putin said.
In Russia's largest and coldest region of Yakutia, this summer's forest fires have already burned through an area larger than Portugal.
Russian weather officials and environmentalists have linked the increasing intensity of Siberia's annual fires to climate change.
"All of this once again shows how important it is for us to deeply and systematically work on the climate and environment agenda," he said.
He called on authorities to be ready to evacuate more people living in areas affected by the fires -- especially the elderly -- as well as provide economic support for them.
He also asked officials to calculate the effects of the fires and make plans to reconstruct houses.
The Russian leader said it was important to do everything to "save the forest riches" and "minimise damage for animals of the taiga", a word used to describe northern Russian forests.
Local officials pleaded for reinforcements and Moscow's economic help to deal with the human cost of damage caused by extreme weather.
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