Regional Environmental Impacts of Coal Industry and Development Prospects according to a Decoupling Model
Anatoly Akulov
Kemerovo State University, Kemerovo
Keywords: industrial region, coal industry, environment, assimilatory potential of biosphere, economic growth, decoupling
Abstract
The paper analyzes ecologic impacts of coal mining observed in industrial regions and it presents a case-study for Kemerovo Oblast. We can state that the increased coal production brings higher pollution of water basins whereas its impact on the atmosphere is not so unambiguous. There is also no effect of decoupling observed in the region. We obtain the statistical estimates of environmental pollution from the increased coal production and recommend a number of institutional and economic tools to reduce ecologic impacts which would contribute to transition to a decoupling model of the development by the region.
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