Life Quality Investments and Environmental Damage Decreasing in Coal Mining Regions

Abstract

The industrialized Kuzbass (Kemerovo Region, Russia) is not only a source of raw materials for the planet, but also a manufacturer of ferrous and non-ferrous metals and chemical products. Since 1990s, the “lungs of the planet” – Siberian taiga – has been actively cut down, and mining and processing enterprises are being built. A large part of the territory of Kuzbass is exposed to a strong technogenic impact. The consequence of the irreversible process of destruction and degradation of soil under industrial waste dumps during open-pit mining of coal, pollution of groundwater and surface water, atmospheric pollution by industrial emissions is the disappearance of natural flora and fauna, as well as the catastrophic threat to the health of people living in the region. Only 30% of the territory of the region, where 5-10% of the population lives, correspond to satisfactory environmental conditions. The article discusses the problems of anthropogenic pressure and environmental capacity of the territory on the example of the Kemerovo region, attempts to assess damage to land resources in the Kemerovo region on the example of 2017, based on the standard methodology for assessing the need for investment in environmental protection.