Optimization of environmentally-oriented resource management

Abstract

Environmentally-oriented natural resource management is associated with the concept of sustainable development, which is based on the balance of interests between economic industry development and ecosystem conservation that gives greater urgency to the task of considering the regional development and the effect of mineral extraction on long-term regional development. The research purpose is comparative analysis of the contemporary development trends of oil-producing regions. The research hypothesis suggests that depletion rate of non-renewable resources, if not supported by institutional mechanisms of stimulating economic regional growth, results in development of conditions for “resource curse” as evidenced by the dynamics of different socio-economic indicators of regional development. The research areas are Tomsk and Irkutsk Oblasts and Krasnoyarsk Krai. The research is based on the evaluation methods of mineral resource depletion (oil) allowing for necessary magnitudes of rental income re-investment as well as economic-statistical methods of socioeconomic dynamics to reveal the trends of regional development. The research results have shown that the regions do not receive the necessary amount of investments for economic diversification. Tomsk Oblast is characterized by impressive demonstration of “resource curse”, whereas Irkutsk Oblast is just at the early stage of that journey. The Krasnoyarsk Krai economy is more diversified. Calculation of socially dangerous depletion of oil reserves can serve as information for adequate justification of compensation approach towards sharing oil revenue taking into account re-investment of natural resource rent into socio-economic regional development.