Risks and Threats for Economic Security in Forest-Based Sector, Generated by Possible Climate Changes

Abstract

Due to expected climate changes, there is a forecast for arising of variety of interconnected and interdependent threats, leading to growth of risks in forest-based sector of economy.Study of risk, as an economic category, has substantial significance for scientific and practical activity in forest-based sector, as it allows identifying the most dangerous threats for economic security.This research includes the systematization of risk factors, caused by possible climate changes, with the allocation of the most dangerous ones which generate threats in forest-based sector of economy. Analysis of revealed risks is conducted on the basis of statistical methods of expert evaluation.It has been established that most of threats for economic security in the sphere of forest use are related to climate change and have stochastic nature, which is determined by a large share of uncertainty of existing factors (air temperature, air and soil humidity, extreme weather phenomena). All of this significantly complicates the planning of work of forest relations members which in this case are the subjects of economic security.The article emphasizes that the main problems of future forest-based sector will be caused by the change of forests productivity. Climate change, which could lead to forests' drying out, change of forest ecosystems, increase of the level of fires and broad-scale natural disasters will inevitably cause the difficulties in material and technical provision of forest-based sector and increase of expenses for all forestry operations. Consequently, there is a forecast for growth of risk factors in entrepreneurial activity, which will lead to risks of decrease of employment of population in forest husbandry, aggravation of labor conditions, reduction of profits of the sector, and decrease of employees' income. Economic and ecological consequences of climate change will have a vivid regional character.