Bulgaria to Have Subtropical Climate within 50 Years

According to global climate scenarios for Bulgaria, around 2050-2080 the temperature in this country will have risen by 2C to 5C, data of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences show. The statement was made Tuesday by the environment expert of Dolna banya municipality (Southwestern Bulgaria) Radoslava Kostadinova, speaking at an international workshop within the framework of a European environmental festival in that town.

In spite of the slight warming, lows in this country are rising faster than highs. This means that Bulgaria will have a subtropical climate within 50 years, environment and climate experts participating in the seminar agreed. The spread of new diseases and pests resistant to the new climatic conditions are new threats for Bulgaria.

Referring to the latest reports on the subject, experts say a number of national parks and reserves will be erased from the map of this country. They explained that improvement of environmental balance in Bulgaria calls for the municipalities to undertake measures in three directions - energy, transport and waste reduction.

Environment expert Petkan Iliev said that the damages from global warming amount to 7,000,000,000,000 dollars, according to a World Bank report for 2007. In turn, a report of the European Commission evaluates damages for the European countries amounting to an annual 2,200 million euro.

Climate changes will lead to a decline of economic growth and will raise insurance prices, Iliev said and added that Bulgaria needs a national programme in the field of global warming on the basis of which entrepreneurs may plan their activity.

BTA