Ecological Problems and Peculiarities of the Environmental and Economic Development of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug

Abstract

The current stage of economic development of the Russian Arctic combines two contradicting tendencies — the intensification of economic development in line with the adopted special preferential measures and the aggravation of technical and technological contradictions under the tightening of sanctions and technological blockade, increasing wear of equipment, the loss of markets for extracted products. Under these conditions, anthropogenic and, particularly, technogenic environmental threats to nature and human habitat become the most important risk factor. The purpose of the work is to identify current eco-logical threats, problems and features of the environmental and economic development of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The study applies a comprehensive economic and sociological toolkit, including general theoretical approaches — dialectical, spatial economics and sustainable development, and private methods — statistical analysis, a number of sociological methods of collecting and processing data. The information basis of the study is the data of official authorities, statistics, the work of domestic and foreign scientists, as well as the results of a sociological survey of residents of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (May 2022; n=539). Key features of environmental and economic processes in the region were identified. Low degree of waste processing, high risks of technogenic accidents at oil and gas production enterprises and transport infrastructure remain. The main environmental threats perceived by the population include oil and gas production facilities, household waste and illegal dumps. In a number of territories, threats from defense activities, catching and processing of fish and illegal fishing are also relevant. The population is least satisfied with the quality of water resources, the cleanness of the environment and the state of forests and parks. Based on the results obtained, recommendations aimed at optimizing the environmental component of the social well-being of the population are given. The scientific significance of the study is determined by the actualization of knowledge about environmental and economic processes in the Arctic region of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, based on a comprehensive economic and sociological toolkit. The practical importance lies in the formation of the analytical framework for managing the environmental and economic development of the regions during the period of exacerbated contradictions in the development of the Russian Arctic.

Keywords

• environmental problem
• nenets autonomous okrug
• industrial pollutant
• environmental threat
• population survey
• environmental and economic development
• arctic zone