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UDC 101
ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL SAFETY OF THE REGION:
STRATEGY CHOICE
O. Y. Kolosova
Krasnodar university of Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation,
Stavropol, Russia kolosova.07@mail.ru
V.N. Goncharov
North-Caucasus Federal University Stavropol, Russia vgn1968@rambler.ru
Ideas of a sustainable development meet the objective requirements of time and can play a significant role in the definition of the state priorities of the national state, strategy of social and economic development and prospects of further reforms. The world practice acquired a wide set of tools and methods of economic environmental policy which could be applied both at the state and regional levels. Today a problem of formation of system of the most effective and adequate to a concrete situation levels is becoming very topical.
Key words: environmental safety, strategy, policy instruments, sustainable development, region.
Ecologization of all directions of modern society development is one of the defining tendencies of our time. For each person ecological quality of habitat and consumed product is realized increasingly as a value for which he is ready to pay and demand as a buyer, a taxpayer and a voter. In many countries there is understanding of the fact that ecological lever is gradually turning into the universal instrument of statement and public control of any problem solution connected with conditions and quality of life. Sustainable development as a global civilizational process, allowing the main socio-natural contradiction between the growing needs of humanity and the inability of the biosphere to provide these needs. This future type of development is represented as a globally managed system-balanced socio-natural evolution, not destroy the environment and ensuring the survival and safe indefinitely long existence of humanity [2, 4].
Considerable differentiation of branch and territorial structure of economy, diversified regional ecological space of the state, application of the unified methods and tools in such conditions can not give the expected effect as use of certain means needs the accounting of specifics, conditions and needs of the concrete region. Need of formation and a choice of strategy of ensuring economical and ecological safety of the region is determined by realities of the present [1]. Critical need is essential expansion of powers of managers of regional level, in particular, in the field of expansion of opportunities of use of organizational and economic tools of ensuring economical and ecological safety. At the nation-wide level frame conditions there are borders in which the regional power can act at the application of the corresponding leverage for ensuring economical and ecological safety of regions have to be created and be applied a leverage, one for all territory of the country. Along with it regional authorities must have in their arsenal a sufficient circle of levers of economic and ecological regulation for guaranteeing economical ecologically safe development of the territory within the chosen regional strategic course. An additional argument is also that practice of regional differentiation of instruments of economical environmental policy is quite widespread in many states of the world. Thus, the formation of a concrete set of tools and methods of ensuring economical and ecological safety can be carried out in each region in a legislative and legal framework by results of diagnostics of economical and ecological safety within the created strategic course. Criterion of a choice of the main strategy of ensuring economical and ecological safety of the region is its ecological, economic and social state: safe, risky, menacing or dangerous which is defined as a result of analytical calculations at a stage of diagnostics of economical and ecological safety and
testifies to the level of ecodestructive influence on system "surrounding environment-population-economy" of the region. All diagnosed condition of economical and ecological safety gives a chance to form target reference points of the economic and ecological directions which are achievable. The most difficult situation is observed in the regions with ecologically dangerous state which characteristic sign appears to be high intensity of influence of ecodestructive factors, considerable scales of anthropotechnogenic load of natural and resource potential, ecosystems and the population which causes considerable ecological disruption in the region and calls into question possibilities of restoration of qualitative parameters. Strategic objectives for such regions are the stopping of degradation of environment, exhaustion of natural and resource potential and reduction of ecodestructive factors influence on the person. For such regions a choice of resistant strategy will be efficient (lat. resistere - to resist, show resistance) which essence is vector formation of counteraction to the existing ecological dangers by their oppression, localizations, neutralizations and its direction on overcoming of influence of ecodestructive factors and avoidance of destruction of ecological equilibrium of system "surrounding environment-population-economy" of the region. The surpassing nature of actions which are practic for applying to realization of such strategy is liquidating that provides concentration of means and efforts to localizations of the destabilizing factors and minimization of consequences of their ecodestructive influence. Note that it doesn't mean to neglect actions of preventive character, however their specific weight will be considerably smaller, than for regions which are for example, in a condition of economical and environmental risk. Sharpness and intensity of economical and ecological condition of such regions determine requirement of radical changes of relationship of system "surrounding environment-population-economy", total greening of the region development, including use of rigid regulation means.
A strategic set of tools of resistant strategy realization has to be based on means of administrative and control influence: standards, licenses; control in places pollution; realization of the principles: "a pollutant must pay" - the best of possible technologies, avoidance of optional forms of pollution. The defining feature of such strategy appears to be broad application of the actions, directed on decrease of harmful effect of environment factors on health of the population for this purpose it will be practice to use means of social and psychological influence, in particular increase of ecologically conscious promotion of healthy lifestyle etc. A common feature of regions which are in dangerous economical and ecological state is existence of a significant amount of ecodestructive factors which led to violation of economical and ecological equilibrium and they are in need of localization of their influence, stabilization of ecological situation and gradual restoration of economical ecological equilibrium in "surrounding environment-population-economy" system.
According to this, strategic objectives of such regions have to provide localization of threats of economical and ecological safety, decrease in level of ecodestructive influence on ecosystems, natural resources and the population, and gradual restoration of the affected economical ecological equilibrium. For such regions the choice of restitutive strategy (lat - restore) which essence consists in creation of prerequisites for restoration of economical and ecological equilibrium, qualitative ecological parameters of environment, providing opportunities of ecologically safe functioning and development. Restitutive strategy is focused on localization of the existing threats of economical and ecological safety and liquidation of their consequences for recipients of ecodestructive influence: ecosystems, natural resources and the population of the region, and also prevention of development of the new factors destabilizing ecological equilibrium which will provide stabilization of an economical and ecological situation and restoration of its stability. On that basis it is possible to note that realization of such strategy needs realization of actions of liquidating and preventive character, and, with the surpassing part of their first view.
A characteristic sign of such strategy is flexible association of means of rigid and soft regulation. As, on the one hand, existence of a significant amount of the factors destabilizing economical and ecological equilibrium demands a rigid regulation of economic processes in the region which will allow not to allow deteriorations of qualitative parameters of environment, and on the other hand - need of ensuring stability and stability of functioning and development of "surrounding environment-population-economy" system of the region needs generation of actions, methods and
tools which will be noted by the maximum economical and ecological efficiency which determines requirement of an effective combination of means of rigid and soft regulation, control and the economic stimulating character. Possibilities of an economical and ecological situation change in the regions in economical and ecologically risky state lie in two directions: improvement of their state to ecologically safe and deterioration - to ecologically menacing or dangerous, a strategic objective of such regions is a gradual decrease in risk and minimizing of potential ecodestructive influences which will render assistance to the movement in the first of the specified directions.
In our opinion, for regions which are in ecologically risky state, it is practice to apply dissipa-tive strategy (lat. - disseminate) which essence is orientation to timely identification and avoidance of the destabilizing factors which can potentially serve as the reason of negative influence on ensuring economical and ecological safety in the region, and gradual systematic improvement of standards in the field of economical and ecological safety. Strategic tools in this case are means of economic incentives which prompt region economic activity subjects of the region to rationalization of use of resources and introduction of nature protection actions, and actions of social and psychological character. The community of strategic objectives causes a community of the surpassing preventive nature of actions of strategy of ensuring economical and ecological safety of regions, a high share of instruments of soft regulation, broader involvement of subjects of managing to discussion and decision-making in the field of economical and ecological safety.
The main feature of strategy which are expedient for applying in regions with economical and ecologically safe state are, first, a main strategic objective which consists in support of the reached balance between economic development of the region (regarding rationality of environmental management and level of anthropotechnogenic load of the nature), a state of environment and quality of living environment of the population, and timely identification and localization of the potential destabilizing factors; secondly, preventive nature of actions for ensuring economical and ecological safety, rationalization of environmental management and improvement of the population life quality; thirdly, such areas of public life as education, culture, science, health care.
For such regions it is efficient to apply supportive strategy (from English support - maintain), which consists in preservation of tendencies reached in the retrospective period in the field of ensuring economical and ecological safety and aspiration of superiority in the quality standards of environment and a standard of living of the population. To achieve this it is necessary to continue diagnostics of economical and ecological safety directed on identification of potential ecodestructive factors and prevention adverse (for economical and ecological safety) developments of a social and economic situation, introduction of progressive standards in the field of economical and ecological safety, assistance of integration of ecological, economic and social components of development of the region which will allow to support and guarantee it economical ecologically safe functioning in the long term. The main instruments of realization of this strategy are means of soft regulation, mainly market focused, in particular economically stimulating character, broad use of instruments of social and psychological influence directed on greening of consciousness and culture of the population.
Greening of mass consciousness and public opinion is an inertial and slow process [3]. But understanding of its value - both on national and international levels - is the basic for approach of a number of the states for providing not only ecological safety, but strengthening of the economic positions in the system of international relations. It is based on the fact that global reorientation of demand for the goods and services meeting certain ecological criteria will lead to a serious high-quality reorganization of the world market in which production of those states will be the most competitive where the high level of greening of economy and, first of all, the technological base will be reached, providing its functioning.
It is necessary to put a number of the following measures of ecological and economic character as a priority task:
- to make the comprehensive inventory of ecological potential including the state assessment, the sizes and dynamics of natural systems change (soil, woods, waters, air, biosphere);
- to carry out transition from the ecological paradigm based on fight against pollution and control of a state of environment to the paradigm based on anticipation, an assessment and prevention of ecological damage;
- to develop a nation-wide program of greening of economy covering all its stages - from production of raw materials and production of a product till its consumption, processing and recycling;
- to proceed from objective need of the accounting of ecological factors forming standard and legal base of development of economy, and the ensuring interrelation of environment quality standards and indicators determining the level and quality of life of population;
- to develop the measures of the state support of regions in the field of solution of environmental problems providing allocations and investments from the federal budget, the budgetary grants (subsidies, subventions), privileged credits and guarantees of the state;
- to accept and begin implementation of a state program of creation and use of ecologically safe and resource-saving technology with the emphasis on the development of preventive, controlling and restoring technology, means and the equipment of environmental monitoring;
- to head for improvement of policy in the field of taxes, regulations, purchases and trade which encourages technological development and removes barriers on the way of the innovative ecological technologies focused on reduction of risk, increase of efficiency of expenses and creation of ecologically favorable production;
- to promote development of natural resources ecosystem management methods in the development of economy. To recognize that efficiency and biological diversity of ecosystems will allow to keep such management, and to prevent negative consequences for one types of resources as a result of taking measures of ecological and economic character concerning other resources;
- to use foreign experience in quantitative and qualitative indicators introduction into the account systems of the national income of natural resources use, and on application of methods of an economic assessment of ecological degradation of air, waters and soils quality. Such approach will allow to define quantitatively real ecological expenses and to reflect a role of the social ecological values which are still remaining out of the account;
- to begin process of the taxation system reforming, recognizing that this system has to promote accumulation of the capital, increase in employment and economic growth of the state. The solution of this problem will be promoted by gradual tax burden gravity center transfer from the kinds of activity which are the cornerstone of economic growth (employment, income, investments, savings), on commercial activity and forms of consumption which with ecological and the economic point of view are harmful to society (inefficient productions, waste, pollution);
- to develop and take effective measures (including legislative) on creation of an effective barrier on the way of smuggling, transit, or unfair export of the harmful and hardly utilized waste for the purpose of placement of ecologically dangerous productions;
- to develop the complex program of monitoring, control, prevention and assignment of responsibility for cross-border receipts of pollution from the adjacent states.
The analysis of the foreign ecological help value and the purposes pursued by the West in its rendering sets on the agenda two key tasks for Russia and the CIS in general: increase of foreign programs efficiency use of assistance in the solution of environmental problems and gradual reduction of dependence on such help.
The most important directions in the solution of the first task are:
First, it is necessary to expand frameworks and strengthen coordination in the field of control over subject, conditions and channels of the western ecological help. It will open opportunity more rigidly to influence bureaucratic structures and elements of corruption from outside, both donors, and the organizations receiving and distributing the help and also to refuse the inefficient or provided on unprofitable conditions help. Parallel leading of ecological requirements under all concluded economic and scientific and technical agreements with western partners (environmental assessment, ensuring ecological safety, and delivery of the nature protection equipment) will allow
providing necessary greening of the industry not within the aid program but at the expense of obligations of the western partners in the contract.
Secondly, it is necessary to increase the specific weight of priorities of the Russian Federation and the CIS programs and projects of the western ecological help.
Thirdly, expansion of a range of the used models of the ecological help is possible.
The following internal political measures are necessary in addition: comprehensively to estimate advantages and possibility of local level acceptance as basic upon transition to a sustainable development. Thus to recognize that the concept of a sustainable development focusing attention not only on economic growth but also on ecological living conditions of the person, opens opportunity to turn the most dynamic criterion of quality of life - an indicator of ecological progress - into the indicator of the started social and economic shift. As visible improvement of an ecological situation is inseparable from rationalization economically and growth of a social involvement of citizens at the concrete level of the local community, this level is optimum for a problem definition of transition to a sustainable development.
Only at the level of community features and possibilities of the solution of local problems can be most fully considered and its cultural, ethnic and religious features are taken into account, age-old experience of indigenous people and its tradition is considered, equitable distribution of an environmental risk in community is provided. Local community and its assessment of global and state interests and projects is a key link in creation of system of feedback in decision-making between the center and the lower levels.
At the same time, cooperation of local authorities and the center opens possibility of development of the balanced and stable decisions on key questions of development of local communities and strengthening of intercommunal cooperation within regions on the problems which are beyond local political jurisdiction (joint strategic planning, land use, transport, maintenance of waters and atmospheric air quality, regional accounting of expenses and benefits).
In the relations of local communities and the center special significance should be attached to the federal help to communities when ensuring national interests on key environmental, external economic and defensive issues leads to damage at the local level (loss of workplaces as a result of military bases closing, reduction of fish crop as a result of change of the international conditions of trade, etc.).
Basis of successful realization of strategy of a sustainable development and, as a result, a laying of the base for blocking of the external threats connected with an ecological component of this development is an active involvement of the population into this process. Greening of public consciousness of citizens has to become the important instrument of such social mobilization.
Definite measures have to be taken in the following directions:
- laying into the basis of a social component of strategy of a sustainable development of orientation to the increase of level and quality of life of the population guaranteed by the state not only in its material expression, but also in balancing and stabilization of social processes;
- to accept a sustainable development of a course on achievement of social justice as one of basis of strategy. Within this course emphasis has to be put on respecting the rule of law, ensuring social and ecological safety and reduction of a gap in levels of the income of the most provided and the layers of societies which are below the poverty line;
- priority attention to social aspects of strategy of a sustainable development at the local level where process of development and decision-making is inseparably linked with real interests of the specific people concerned with visible problems and ready to bear responsibility for such decisions. At this level - where there are local systems of values and priorities where the problem of formation of the steady social environment is the most notable and concrete - the system thinking is effectively formed making easier integration of economic, nature protection and social actions, and achievement of social justice in the communities.
References
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2. Ilyin I. V., Elk V. A., Ursul A. D. Sustainable development strategy in the context of globalization // Vestnik of Moscow university. Series XXVII: global studies and geopolitics. 2015. No. 1-2.
3. Romashov V.A. Formation of a new environmental consciousness: a philosophical analysis. M., 1989.
4. Ursul A.D. Prospects for a secure future: directions of sustainable development concept formulation // National security/Nota bene, 2014. No. 6.
September, 16, 2015
