Changes in the Agro-Climatic Conditions in Bulgaria at the End of the 20th and the Beginning of the 21st Century

Abstract

Agriculture is one of the most sensitive sectors of the economy. Therefore, climate change has the greatest impact on agricultural production. Despite the achievements of modern agricultural science and the development of agrotechnologies, the importance of meteorological conditions for the size and quality of agricultural products cannot be compensated. Agriculture in Bulgaria is carried out under conditions of limited and insufficient moisture. By the end of the last century, the studied trends of climate change in the area of agricultural production have led to a deterioration of agro-climatic conditions. The temperatures increase and decreasing rainfall and the uneven nature of their distribution cause short-term manifestations of this impact consisting of high variability, including extreme weather events and long-term manifestations consisting of changes in the agro-climatic characteristics of an agricultural area. Since the beginning of the 21st century, we have witnessed annual weather and climate records, both globally and nationally. The frequency and amplitude of extreme weather events is increasing every year. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is emphasizing 2019 as the fifth warmest year since the beginning of the 21st century. This paper presents the results of the changes study in agro-climatic conditions in the period 1986-2015 compared to the reference period 1961-1990, as a result of changes in the values of main meteorological elements at the end of the last and the beginning of the present century. The results of the research are necessary for decision-making, both at scientific and management level, in risk assessment and preparation of measures for adaptation to climate change, and directly in agricultural practice - for the choice of crops, varieties and hybrids and in the choice of technological solutions.