Russia evacuates 4,000 people after dam bursts, floods near Kazakh border
Al JazeeraMar 27
Russia Declares Ural Mountain Flooding a Federal Emergency
Image copyright: Wikimedia Commons (May 26, 2020)
The Facts
The Ural River on Sunday burst through a dam in Orsk, flooding two Russian cities that were evacuated. Authorities declared an emergency in the worst-hit Orenburg region.
Snowmelt due to warm weather caused rivers to overflow in some regions of Russia. In Kazakhstan, too, over 72K people were evacuated amid the worst floods "in 80 years."
The Spin
Pro-Russia narrative
In years past Pres. Vladimir Putin has been vocal in his criticism of man-made climate change, but he has recently also taken a proactive and progressive stance against its impacts. Russia has intensified operations to prepare its people for extreme weather events like this one. This is evidenced in its quick commissioning of a committee to tackle the Ural mountain floods which was exacerbated by warm temperatures in the region.
Anti-Russia narrative
Moscow has publicly sought to gain from climate change — such as gaining leverage over the melting Arctic — although experts have disapproved. Russia's political and economic future is intertwined and largely dependent on a collective global response to a warming planet. No positive spin by state media will make up for its lack of preparation against extreme weather events that will inevitably torment it.