Estimating the Level of Sustainable Social and Economic Development on Rural Territories (illustrated by the Chelyabinsk region)

Abstract

The article provides upgrading of methodology of estimating the sustainable social and economic development on rural territories. This research required general scientific methods, such as analysis, comparison, abstract-logical, monographic and certain economic-mathematic methods. The proposed methodology is based on the method of rating estimation. As a result of such estimation rural territories were identified by types (leading, successful, developing, lagging behind, crucial) and by the level of social and economic development (sustainable, transitional, unsustainable). This methodology was approved on the rural territory of the Chelyabinsk region. For each territory total scores were calculated and corresponding ratings were given. The lowest score guarantees the highest rating. The major part of territories was included in the group of developing areas characterized by the transitional level of social and economic development (10 districts). The second place was taken by lagging behind territories with unsustainable level of social and economic development (6 districts). The Sosnovskiy municipal district is identified as the most developed one (17 scores). By this estimation the district is included in successful territories characterized by sustainable level of social and economic development. The practical importance of the research is connected with the necessity to identify trends of rural territories to move towards sustainable social and economic development and the possibility to use this information in state programs aimed at sustainable development of rural territories on municipal, regional and federal levels.

Keywords

• sustainable social and economic development
• rural territories
• method of rating estimation
• successful territories
• lagging behind territories
• rural municipal district