Features of adaptation of the population in difficult climate and natural environment conditions (on the example of research in the Altai Republic)

Maximova Svetlana Gennadyevna ORCID: 0000-0002-4613-4966 Doctor of Sociology Professor, Head of the Department, Department of Social and Youth Policy, Altai State University 656049, Russia, Altai Krai, Barnaul, Dimitrova str., 66, office 515 svet-maximova@yandex.ru Other publications by this author

Atyasova Natalya Yuryevna ORCID: 0000-0001-9022-4320 PhD in Sociology Research Fellow at the Research and Development Department, Altai State University 656049, Russia, Altai Krai, Barnaul, Dimitrova str., 66, office 515 kaiser.natasha@gmail.com Other publications by this author

The publication was prepared within the framework of the RNF project No. 22-67-00020 "Changes in climate, glaciers and landscapes of Altai in the past, present and future as the basis for a model of adaptation of the population of the inland mountainous regions of Eurasia to climate-conditioned environmental changes" (2022-2025).

Society and nature are an integral system, despite the fact that these concepts are the objects of study of different sciences: social and humanitarian or natural sciences. The topic of the study of natural and social systems as wholes has been reflected in many scientific and journalistic works, and their content analysis gives reason to consider the interdependence of natural and social as an axiom that cannot be doubted ^[13].

A person in the course of his life is influenced by the surrounding world, and is forced to adapt to various natural conditions. And in turn, a person influences the nature around him, modifying and adapting it to himself, adapting it to his needs and needs. Human adaptation is a two-way process. Adaptation of a person to a new environment for him is a complex socio–biological process, which is based on changes in the systems and functions of the body, as well as habitual behavior. Living conditions in severe climatic conditions have their own characteristic features and necessarily leave an imprint on the adaptation process. It is important to identify and study effective approaches to the analysis of the formation of adaptive mechanisms, taking into account the specifics of living conditions and activities in difficult climatic conditions of a risky natural environment.

To date, there is no unambiguous definition of the concept of "adaptation" in science. The term adaptation is used in biology, medicine, anthropology, cultural studies, psychology, sociology and other sciences. The analysis of modern literature shows that studies aimed at studying the processes of adaptation of the human body to its natural environment prevail.

The concept of adaptation originally arose as one of the key categories of science in biology. In a broad sense, "adaptation" comes from the Latin word "adaptatio" ? adaptation and means adaptation to environmental conditions ^[4].

The French naturalist J. Buffon is considered to be the founder of the study of the mechanism of adaptation processes, and the emergence of the concept itself is associated with the name of the German physiologist G. Aubert, who introduced it into scientific circulation in the second half of the XVIII century and thereby contributed to the beginning of the study of this phenomenon ^[1].

M.V. Rostovtseva and A.A. Mashanova note that the concept of adaptation is associated with the emergence of the evolutionary teachings of J.B. Lamarck and C. Darwin. J.B. Lamarck used the concept of adaptation to explain the emergence of individual species of living beings and their evolution, and adaptation served only as a tool through which it could be done. Modern scientists note that the tradition of understanding adaptation both as a process and as a result of the acquisition by living organisms of the properties necessary for survival in specific conditions of their existence was laid by Ch.Darwin. In addition, the differentiation of adaptive properties by scientists demonstrated a complex multicomponent structure of the adaptation process, which determines the multidimensional nature of its study. However, taking a slightly different research position, Darwin did not develop this idea in his theory, as a result of which the phenomenon of adaptation was studied relatively single-linearly for a long time ^[18].

In explaining the biological meaning of adaptation, the concept of G. Selye played an important role, who initially drew attention to the influence of pathological environmental stimuli on physiological and pathomorphological changes in the body of animals, accompanied by great stress. He called these states of tension stress, and the factors leading to such stresses, stress factors. In his teaching, G. Selye pays considerable attention to the adaptation syndrome, speaking of it as a stable complex state in which all the capabilities and reserves of the body are activated for the necessary transformations in order to adapt to difficult conditions ^[14].

A great contribution to the formation of the theory of adaptation was made by domestic scientists. As well as abroad, in domestic science, the deformation of the traditional, biologically based view of adaptation begins in the 70s of the twentieth century. Among domestic specialists, N.A. Aghajanyan, V.Yu. Vereshchagin, V.P. Kaznacheev, V.V. Nikonov, G.I. Tsaregorodtsev and others were engaged in the problems of studying the adaptive potential and psycho-physiological reserves of the body ^[17].

N.A. Aghajanyan was one of the first Soviet scientists to study the features of physiological adaptation from the point of view of socio-biological properties and human characteristics ^[17]. N.A. Aghajanyan defines adaptation as the adaptation of a biological system developed in the process of evolutionary development to environmental conditions ^[22].

An integrated approach to the study of human adaptation led N.A. Aghajanyan to the idea of an adaptive type, which manifests itself in the ecological portrait of a person formed under the influence of a whole system of factors: natural and climatic conditions, natural resources, the use of inherited properties and the social environment. ^[21].

A significant contribution to the study of adaptation processes was made by V.P. Kaznacheev, who paid attention to the problem of human adaptation to various climatogeographic and socio-industrial conditions. V. P. Kaznacheev, characterizing physiological adaptation, considers it as a process of maintaining the functional state of the homeostatic systems of the body as a whole, ensuring its preservation, development, efficiency, maximum life expectancy in inadequate conditions Wednesday ^[19].

V.Yu. Vereshchagin noted that human biological adaptation is a complex socio-biological problem. Biological adaptation of a person is not limited only to the optimal functioning of the human body, it includes the normal social and biological development of a person, acting as one of the forms of harmonization of the interaction of man and nature ^[3].

Modern authors also contribute to the development of adaptation theory.

Thus, Prokhorov defines human biological adaptation as an evolutionarily evolved adaptation of the human body to environmental conditions, expressed in a change in the external and internal characteristics of an organ, function or the whole organism to changing environmental conditions ^[16].

In the process of adapting an organism to new conditions, two processes are distinguished — phenotypic or individual adaptation, which is more correctly called acclimatization, and genotypic adaptation, carried out by natural selection of traits useful for survival. With phenotypic adaptation, the body reacts directly to the new environment, which is expressed in phenotypic shifts, compensatory physiological changes that help the body maintain balance with the environment in new conditions. During the transition to the previous conditions, the previous state of the phenotype is restored, compensatory physiological changes disappear ^[16].

An important result of the research of biological adaptation by foreign and domestic scientists was a new understanding of adaptation, or rather, the identification of its new type - social adaptation, the process of active adaptation of an individual or group to a changed environment using various social means.

The concept of "social adaptation" is analyzed in the works of such classics of sociology as E.Durkheim, M.Weber, T.Parsons, R. Merton, P.Berger and T.Lukman.

The English scientist G. Spencer, the founder of the theory of organicism and evolutionism, was one of the first to draw attention to the social aspect of adaptation. G. Spencer defined natural selection as the most important factor of evolution, in the process of which the fittest (adapted) to the environment individuals survive. Moreover, the scientist considered society by analogy to a living organism consisting of organs performing a set of certain functions. In this regard, the sociologist considers adaptation as one of the functions of the organism that allows it to reach the stage of equilibrium with the environment. In the "theory of equilibrium" proposed by G. Spencer, adaptation was understood as a stable balancing of the organism (individual) with the environment (society), as a result of which there is a complication of the social structure, an increase in its "functionality" ^[15].

E. Durkheim understood social adaptation as the assimilation of social norms by a person, their internalization, when an individual who meets the norms of society will have a high level of adaptation, and vice versa, who has not assimilated norms will have a low level of adaptation ^[7].

A.D. Vislova in her work notes that E.Durkheim considered "adaptation" and "socialization" as synonymous terms, and emphasized the unity of the processes of adaptation of man and society in quantitative and qualitative terms. The core of the Durkheim approach and the characteristic scheme of analysis is the consideration of the problem of social adaptation through the "norm - pathology" axis, where each person is assigned a certain place, and his parameters, as a rule, include a whole set of indicators ^[4].

However, as S.I. Kapitsa notes, the positivist concept seems to be a necessary, but not sufficient methodological basis for the disclosure of the theory of social adaptation. M.Weber, explaining the normative behavior of a person with a high level of his rationality, noted that the most adapted person is "rational", and not "normative" ^[7].

American sociologists T.Parsons and R. Metron considered the concept of social adaptation in the framework of structural and functional analysis. Thus, R. Merton describes adaptation in conditions of social disorganization. As A.D. Vislova rightly notes, R. Merton found that the relationship between norms, roles, statuses, values and institutional arrangements and ways of adapting to it can differ in consistency - inconsistency, and also have the character of conflict. In his opinion, in the process of adaptation, a person can accept or reject social values, follow norms or deviate from them ^[4]. R. Merton not only spoke about social and individual adaptation, classified it, but most importantly - noted the most important circumstance: social adaptation does not necessarily imply the assimilation of social norms by a person ^[7]. At the same time, R. Merton identified several ways of social adaptation that an individual can use: conformism (full acceptance of socially approved goals and means of their implementation); innovation (acceptance of goals, rejection of legitimate ways to achieve them); ritualism (inflexible reproduction of given or habitual means); retreatment (passive avoidance of social norms, for example in the form of drug addiction); rebellion (active rebellion - denial of social norms) ^[4]. R. Merton points out that "people can move from one alternative (the form of social adaptation listed above) to another as they become involved in different spheres of social activity. R. Merton emphasizes that social adaptation of a person certainly connected with social norms and dependent on them, is not a reflection and generation of these norms and is directed not from society to the individual, but from the individual to the society.

According to the ideas of T. Parsons, no social system or individual can survive if the problems of adaptation to the environment, goal setting, integration, latency are not solved ^[8]. The phenomenon of adaptation in T. Parsons' theory acts as one of the functional conditions for the existence of a social system along with integration, achievement of goals and preservation of value patterns. It follows from this that the ability to perform meaningful role-playing actions is an important adaptive resource of any society. It is emphasized that in practice no social system is in a state of perfect homeostatic equilibrium. The adaptive process of a person is considered as the primary function of his role in the social system ^[4].

The works of the classics of sociology formed the basis for further research into the understanding of the essence of the term "social adaptation" by modern authors.

Thus, S.I. Kapitsa defines social adaptation as a holistic, dynamic, continuous, relatively stable process of interaction between an individual or a group and the social environment, during which people's abilities to meaningfully navigate a changing situation are formed, develop adequate behavioral models, rationally use various resources to coordinate self-assessments and opportunities and the fullest realization of their needs and claims ^[7].

R.S. Kardanov concludes that the modern general theoretical definition of social adaptation boils down to the idea that this is the process and result of establishing harmonious relationships between a person and the social macroenvironment in social situations specific to a given person ^[8].

Z.G. Nigmatov says that adaptation can be defined as an integral system of reactions of living systems (individual, species, biocenosis), having an active, directional (teleonomic) character, contributing not only to maintaining dynamic equilibrium in given environmental conditions (homeostasis), but also providing the possibility of evolution when they change (homeoresis) ^[12].

The main condition for successful social adaptation to changing climatic and geographical conditions will be a person's awareness and acceptance of their living conditions and self-realization in all types of activities - communication, work or study, leisure. Violation of social adaptation to difficult climatic conditions can lead to disruption of professional activities, communication difficulties, mass hostility, and negative forms of leisure activities.

Social adaptation depends on the availability or absence of decent work, accessibility and quality of education; housing and living conditions (size and quality of housing, availability of district heating, water supply and sewerage), availability and quality of recreational resources (leisure facilities), availability or absence of bad habits, availability of a social assistance system for groups in need, availability or lack of communication with other people. The degree of influence of these factors on the success of social adaptation of the population increases in regions with extreme climatic and geophysical conditions.

Consideration of biological and social adaptation will not be complete without understanding the adaptation process in the psychological sciences.

In psychology, the term "adaptation" refers to the restructuring of an individual's psyche under the influence of objective environmental factors, as well as a person's ability to adapt to various environmental requirements without feeling internal discomfort and without conflict with the environment ^[10].

The essence of adaptation is considered within the framework of various foreign psychological directions: psychoanalytic (G. Hartmann, Z.Freud, A. Freud, E.Erickson, etc.); cognitive (E. Aronson, J. Piaget, L.Festinger, etc.); interactionist (L. Philips, J.Mead, T.Shibutani, etc.); behavioristic (L.Shaffer, E.Shoben, G.Eysenck); humanistic (G. Becker, A.Maslow, K. Rogers, etc.).

Each approach describes its own vision of the nature of adaptation, its forms and functions. In psychoanalysis, adaptation is considered as a ratio of changes in the environment and personality, as a continuously ongoing process, including adaptation as a passive process, and mutual adaptation as a reflection of the activity of the subject and at the same time as development — the formation of defenses and neoplasms. Proponents of the cognitive trend in psychology, and in particular J. Piaget considered adaptation as the process of adapting the body to the environment and achieving a harmonious balance with it. From the standpoint of the interactionist approach, adaptation is revealed as a process of entering into a social role. Representatives of the behaviorist approach consider the phenomenon of adaptation both as a state of harmony between an individual and the natural or social environment, and as a process by which this harmonious state is achieved. Supporters of the humanistic trend consider adaptation as a dynamic process of transformation of objective social forms and conditions of a person's life into productive, individual, qualitatively peculiar ways of its organization ^{[5, 6, 20]}.

Modern foreign researchers consider the problem of social adaptation within the framework of a comprehensive direction that arose on the basis of neo-behaviorism and branches of psychoanalytic psychology related to psychosomatic medicine. At the same time, the main attention is paid to adaptation disorders (neurotic and psychosomatic disorders, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.) and ways to correct them ^[20].

In Russian psychology, the nature of adaptation is studied within the framework of scientific directions: subjective-activity (K. A. Abulkhanova, B. G. Ananyev, A. N. Leontiev, A.V. Petrovsky, S. L. Rubinstein, etc.); systemic (L.S. Vygotsky, A.R. Luria, A. N. Leontiev, B. F. Lomov S. L., Rubinstein, et al.); system-activity ^[5].

In Russian psychology, adaptation began to be considered with the advent of the theory of subject activity by A. N. Leontiev. According to the scientist, the leading side of human adaptation is the activity of the individual, which has not an adaptive, adaptive, but a transformative-activity character. Thus, according to Leontiev, adaptation can be characterized as the active development of the natural, as well as the social environment in all its diversity of spheres - economic, political, social and spiritual ^[20].

A fundamental contribution to the disclosure of the psychological meaning of the concept of "adaptation" are the provisions of L.S. Vygotsky, according to which external and internal means and signs mediate human interaction with the outside world, regulate his behavior. It follows from this that adaptation in a psychological context consists not only in the individual's reaction to the effects of external conditions, but also in their adequate reflection with the participation of human mental capabilities ^[11].

Among Russian researchers, the following definition of adaptation is the most generally accepted: "Adaptation is the process of establishing an optimal correspondence between a person and the environment during the implementation of human activities, the process of which allows an individual to meet current needs and realize significant goals related to them, while at the same time ensuring that the maximum human activity, his behavior, and environmental requirements" ^[20].

Obviously, when studying adaptation mechanisms to changing climatic and geographical conditions, it is necessary to take into account the psychological state of the person experiencing this adaptation.

Modern researcher Kiselyova notes that human adaptation to new conditions of the external geographical environment is largely related to the state of his psyche. The mental factor plays an extremely important role in maintaining health and in matters of adaptation. Mentally healthy people who show flexibility (flexibility) in thinking and behavior, positive emotions, sociable, strong-willed, aware of their life goals and striving to achieve them, are able to independently regulate their needs, manage their desires and capabilities. Optimistic people in new and difficult living conditions are less likely to get sick than pessimists. Moreover, they tend to believe that living in a difficult climate does not have a negative impact on their health. An inactive lifestyle, rigid thinking and harsh living conditions are concepts that are incompatible for human adaptation ^[9].

Violation of psychological adaptation to difficult climatic conditions leads to apathy, anxiety, depressive states, and mental disorders.

The criterion for successful biopsychosocial adaptation will be a balanced ratio between human needs and the requirements of the natural and social environment.

Modern researchers note that climatic and socio-ecological changes in different regions of the country are evidenced not only by the results of instrumental observations and their analysis, but also by observations of local residents. Using only statistical scientific knowledge, it is very difficult to identify and show the impact of climate change on the livelihoods of the population, especially at the local level. Therefore, scientists are increasingly resorting to observations of the local population on climate change as a source of information ^[2].

According to experts, the highest stress of all adaptation mechanisms from a person is required by vital activity in such extreme conditions as extreme cold, extreme heat and a mountainous climate. The climate of the Altai Republic is characterized by a combination of all these climatic factors: the region is characterized by a temperate continental climate with relatively short hot summers and prolonged cold, sometimes very frosty, winters and a predominance of mountainous terrain (Altai Republic website). All this has an impact on the human body, its health, social and everyday activities, and requires the population to form certain adaptive mechanisms.

To identify socially significant problems related to the transformation of climatic conditions, a number of in-depth interviews were conducted with experts, local residents living in permafrost areas of the Altai Republic.

A total of 21 interviews were conducted. The interview was attended by employees of the education sector (5), tourism (3), military personnel and employees of military services (2), employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (1), veterinary services (1), representatives of the legislative branch (1). A significant part of the respondents are engaged in household management, have a personal subsidiary farm (14).

Socio-demographic characteristics: 11 men and 10 women aged 23 to 65 years participated in the interview. The average age of the respondents: women – 50 years old, men – 41 years old. The nationality of the respondents: Altaians - 14, Kazakhs - 4, did not specify – 2.

In-depth interviews were conducted in the villages of Kosh-Agach and Ulagan districts: Kosh–Agach – 8, Kurai – 3, Novy Beltir - 3, Chagan–Uzun - 2, Kyzyl–Tash – 2, Aktash – 2, Chibit - 1. The vast majority live in these villages from birth, a small part of the respondents they moved from other regions of the republic due to work or a change in marital status and have been living for more than 30 years. Most of the respondents are married and have 2 to 6 children.

The interview was coded according to the scheme: I1, gender, age, nationality, position, locality.

We present the results of a qualitative study aimed at identifying the features of adaptation of the population of the Altai Republic in difficult climatic conditions of the natural environment in the context of risk assessment at the biological, social and psychological level of adaptation of the local population.

In order to assess the biological level of adaptation, respondents were asked questions related to the health of residents of settlements in the Altai Republic and their own health.

Answering the question "How often do residents of your area get sick, what chronic diseases are typical for this area?", respondents note various health problems among the local population. The most common problems with pressure are: "... it turns out that most of the residents are even young, everyone has pressure. ... problems with pressure, weather dependence, it's all influenced by the fact that the highlands are probably most likely" (I1, Zh, 30, altayka, occupational safety specialist at school, Chagan-Uzun); "Pressure, diabetes, very often people get sick and this is the heart, pressure, That's probably all. And very often people suffer from heart attack, stroke" (I2, W, 63 years old, Altai, senior educator, Chagan-Uzun) "Well, the main disease here is hypertension" (I7, M, 47 years old, Altai, works in the tourism sector, Kosh–Agach); "We have a strong pressure, after fifty, blood pressure" (I14, MIZH, over 50 years old, Kosh-Agach); "Most have hypertension. High blood pressure" (I17, Zh, 42 years old, Altai, school principal, Chibit); "Of course, our health is not very bad – most likely so. There are a lot of people with high blood pressure, arthritis, that's the disease..." (I20, Zh, 44 years old, Altai, methodologist of the Department of Education, Novy Beltir).

They also note the prevalence of oncological diseases: "Cancers and then they are also different..." (I11, M, 63, an employee of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Aktash); "oncology is very much - both children and adults are sick" (I20, W, 44, Altayka, methodologist of the Department of Education, Novy Beltir), problems with alcohol addiction: "In general, everyone's health is pernicious, and basically, drunk, drunk, of course, there is no health already. And there are few such sober-minded people here" (I3, W, 57 years old)

Several experts, on the contrary, believe that the highlands do not affect the increase in pressure, and in general, the health of the locals is good: "I think [mountains have a positive effect on health]. Sometimes you drive through the mountains, energy ..." (I13, M, 39 years old, Kazakh, Council of Deputies, Kosh-Agach); "There is good [health] here, they say because of the highlands, the pressure does not rise. And the lower you go, then people who are used to living here, adults, for example, from 60 to 80 years old, they feel fine here, and they go to Gorno-Altaysk, it's a little lower there, their pressure starts to rise there" (I16, M, 38 years old, Kazakh, contract worker, Kosh-Agach).

Expert respondents also say about their personal health problems: "Yes, and even I myself, I don't know, I never had any pressure at all, but I moved here, somehow jumps anyway" (I1, Zh, 30, Altaika, occupational safety specialist at school, Chagan-Uzun); "rheumatism... that's it, they start walking on crutches after sixty... these are probably vessels" (I2, Well, 63 years old, Altai, senior educator, Chagan-Uzun); "They were very serious, but I had to focus on this. On your health. And I was healing. ... these ... uh ... orthopedic problems. They are connected with the character, it's orthopedic" (I3, W, 57 years old); "Yes [there are chronic diseases]: kidneys, eyes here I have, all my teeth have fallen out - there is no time to do it, it's money again" (I4, W, 40 years old); "Well, the pancreas... there is, of course... [about personal chronic diseases]" (I6, M,50 years old, guide, Kosh-Agach); "I have asthma. With age, of course, it affects ..." (I8, M, 59 years old, Kurai); "Well, there is a trauma here in the complex, there are chronic ones. ... in the complex: musculoskeletal, because there is a fracture, there are injuries, there are professional ones, along the spine and, as it were, it affects the genitourinary system too..." (I12, M, 36 years old, Altai); "I have chondrosis, chronic chondrosis!" (I14, MIZH, over 50 years old, Kosh-Agach).

At the same time, the majority of respondents seek medical help only in case of a serious illness: "Yes, when it happens ... it is. .. something serious" (I3, W, 57 years old); "Well, when serious [ailments]!" (I4, W, 40 years old); "Already with serious [diseases they turn to doctors]" (I6, M, 50 years old, guide, Kosh-Agach); "There are of course, you are very ill, of course, you apply" (I10, M, 53 years old);

Or they don't apply at all: "I don't go to the doctors at all" (I4, W, 40 years old); "We mainly apply with children, a cold or something else. Well, no [they do not apply themselves], so seriously, no" (I13, M, 39 years old, Kazakh, Council of Deputies, Kosh-Agach).

However, having diseases, respondents still rate their health as good: "No, I'm not complaining about my health. Only here ... coronavirus ... I didn 't get sick ... And I do not know, I did not understand. She was probably without symptoms" (I4, W, 40 years old); "I feel good. I went to the hospital with a chronic cough, they said, everything is fine with you, go, we won't give injections" (I9, M, 58 years old, Kazakh, Kosh-Agach); "Well, there is an injury here in the complex, there are chronic ones. Well, in general, I feel fine so far" (I12, M, 36 years old, Altai).

On the question that recently people have begun to live less and die earlier, experts have no consensus. Some agree with this: "And here it happens, since last year, maybe the coronavirus has affected or something, people somehow die suddenly, somehow quickly, who was in the hayfield – quickly, there were such cases last year. Well, that's what we think, post-ovoid remains, probably something like that" (I2, W, 63 years old, Altai, senior educator, Chagan-Uzun).

Others do not observe such trends: "No, there is no such thing [that people here die more, more often or get sick]. It's just that he, the body, is already adapted, adapted and oriented" (I7, M, 47 years old, Altai, works in the field of tourism, Kosh-Agach).

At the same time, some of the respondent experts note that the health problems of the local population are related to their place of residence: "... it turns out that most of the residents are even young, everyone has pressure. ... problems with pressure, weather dependence, it's all influenced by the fact that the highlands are probably most likely" (I1, Zh, 30, Altaika, occupational safety specialist at school, Chagan-Uzun); "It even affects a lot, yeah. This harsh climate, constant wind, constant sand wind" (I2, Zh, 63 years old, Altai, senior educator, Chagan-Uzun); "... as if the chain stretches, because other factors also influence: mostly, of course, this...This is the climate. Climate.." (I3, W, 57 years old); "Most likely, uh, this is and and-and-and it is the highlands. Here is something that is high, the pressure is high because of this pressure. And only to (inaudible) It all says it all. Here, the oxygen content is less than in the lowlands" (I7, M, 47 years old, Altai, works in the tourism sector, Kosh-Agach); "We have a strong pressure, after fifty pressure. The population is equated to the Far North, the highlands, we have a lot of diseases" (I14, MIZH, over 50 years old, Kosh-Agach); "Most have hypertension. The pressure is increased ... [because of the hilly terrain] probably" (I17, Zh, 42 years old, Altai, school principal, Chibit); "It seems to me that [the terrain affects people's health]. The area used to be oncology, that is, this disease was such that it is very rare, now, as you will not hear, a lot of people have oncology. Even if, for example, we take the locals, a friend who lived here all her life and went there, well, down, yes, she already feels the difference, the pressure has already returned to normal, and that's it. It is easier for her to live there than in Kosh-Agach" (I20, Zh, 44 years old, Altai, methodologist of the Department of Education, Novy Beltir).

Another part of the respondents believes that health problems are not related to living in a mountainous area, but to various other reasons. The age is most often indicated: "... have you become ill more often? With age, of course... but the climate has not affected in any way. No." (I6, M, 50 years old, tour guide, Kosh-Agach); "I have asthma. With age, of course, it affects ..." (I8, M, 59 years old, Kurai);  "No, only age [to the question of whether there was a deterioration in health due to adverse weather events]" (I10, M,53 years old). Another reason is the consequences after the coronavirus: "Slightly, but it still worsened after the coronavirus" (I12, M, 36 years old, Altai).

When asked how the environment affects the health and life of local residents, some respondents noted the presence of such an influence: "That's our ... health [ecology] is very negatively affected, I think so. Well, the situation [environmental], we think, is very harsh. And... we live by habit, we are already used to it here (laughs). When you arrive in Gorno-Altaysk, in Ongudai, there is, of course, nature, all this is positive. And we ... they don't have winds like ours there" (I2, Zh, 63, Altaika, senior educator, Chagan-Uzun); "They flew away from Baikonur [about the steps from a space rocket in the context of radiation risks], it was visible here. I've seen the photos, personally  I haven't seen it myself" (I13, M, 39 years old, Kazakh, Council of Deputies, Kosh-Agach).

Another part of the experts deny the impact of ecology on the life of the population: "Everything is clean about this [that there are environmental problems here, that the steps of space rockets are falling and there is radiation]" (I16, M, 38 years old, Kazakh, contractor, Kosh-Agach); "In Chulushman. Ust-Kamne [the steps of space rockets are falling]. I don't remember here, I didn't even hear it" (I17, Zh, 42 years old, Altaika, school principal, Chibit); "I do not know [what else radiation is here too in Gorny, radon, steps are falling]" (I20, Zh, 44 years old, Altaika, methodologist of the Department of Education, New Beltir).

Respondents agree that Gorny Altai, their place of residence, is a zone of increased radiation: "Well, it is and was [Gorny Altai is a zone of increased radiation]" (I7, M, 47 years old, Altai, works in tourism, Kosh–Agach); "Radon, on the contrary, everyone goes swimming, everyone is being treated" (I13, M, 39 years old, Kazakh, Council of Deputies, Kosh-Agach).

At the same time, respondents note that nature has given them a means to minimize the harmful effects of radiation on the human body "... we have yaks from radiation. Yaks, they say, their meat, removes radionuclides" (I7, M, 47 years old, Altai, works in the field of tourism, Kosh-Agach).

Some people do not know about the risk of natural radiation for the local population: "Here? I don't know [about radon]...well, I know that there were mines around here" (I1, Zh, 30, altayka, occupational safety specialist at school, Chagan-Uzun).

The respondents also believe that, in general, the body of people who live in this area adapts to radiation, and there is no harmful effect on the body: " ... we have uranium deposits, all this is there, it ... and the body has also adapted to these, uh, trace elements, these, which here ... as if ... to the dose that is available, it does not bring much harm" (I7, M, 47 years old, Altai, works in the field of tourism, Kosh-Agach).

Thus, experts, participants in a qualitative study, note the presence of health problems among the local population due to the mountainous climate. The most common disease is called hypertension, high blood pressure.

In addition, the local population seeks medical help only in case of serious illnesses, which indicates a lack of setting the value of their physical health and translates a high risk to the biological component of human adaptation.

Experts also talk about their personal illnesses (the risk to the biological component of adaptation), but at the same time they assess their health as good.

The next, social level of adaptation was analyzed through issues related to the availability of social and household infrastructure, communication networks, and access to services.

An increase in the number of extreme weather events and an increase in the level of unpredictability of climatic conditions affect agriculture and food security, leading to a decrease in productivity and income in vulnerable areas of the country. In order to identify the peculiarities of adaptation in regions with difficult climatic conditions, expert respondents were asked questions about the availability of products for personal use, a decrease in agricultural yields and a decrease in livestock, which can lead to food shortages.

To the question of "Where do you prefer to purchase or how do you get products for personal use?" experts note that almost all the local population, including them, are engaged in cattle breeding in order to have their own meat: "Yes [my husband's father keeps cows and small-horned cattle, they share meat]... everyone almost has a private subsidiary farm… Because meat is expensive in itself, if purchased, but so is one's own" (I1, W, 30, altaika, occupational safety specialist at school, Chagan-Uzun); "Well, there are goats, sheep, cows" (I2, W, 63, Altaika, senior educator, Chagan-Uzun); "It is impossible here without farming. We have it ... well, for a long time, as if our ancestors were engaged in this household. And without agriculture, it's rather ... difficult to live in rural areas" (I7, M, 47 years old, Altai, works in tourism, Kosh-Agach); "Yes [engaged in animal husbandry]" (I15, W, 65 years old, retired, Kurai); "We are engaged in [personal subsidiary household]. We keep cattle" (I16, M, 38 years old, Kazakh, contractor, Kosh-Agach); "Most of us have cattle breeding, their own meat" (I17, Zh, 42 years old, Altai, school principal, Chibit).

However, part of the population is already ceasing to keep livestock, as due to climate change, problems arise with hay harvesting and there is nothing to feed the animals: "Because many of us, for some reason, have stopped keeping livestock. It must have become more difficult to maintain. Because this is again a problem with hay... every year, almost every year, eit

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