Home – Home – Jornals – Region: Economics and Sociology 2024 number 3

This article examines the northward advancement of the taiga as one of the consequences of global climate change. The objective of the publication is to explore new opportunities for the development of Siberia’s economy, as well as to systematize the key strategies for the economy’s adaptation to evolving conditions. The expansion of the taiga is increasing Russia’s forest resources. Its composition is altering: the proportion of larch and pine is decreasing, replaced by cedar, spruce, and mixed forests. These changes are also affecting the composition of wild animal populations and the structure of fish species in seas, rivers, and freshwater bodies. The author reviews previous research on this topic, systematizes, and integrates the results. We note a current lag between Russian (particularly Siberian) and global science in predicting climate change and its consequences, as well as in the development and application of the mathematical models used for forecasts. Another issue that needs addressing is the approach to the problem under study within public administration, which tends to focus solely on potential damage from climate change. The author argues that the northward movement of the taiga enhances opportunities for the development of the Russian economy.

The article presents a comprehensive approach to assessing the level of regional competitiveness. It outlines the main concepts of competitiveness assessment, leading to an approach that involves the use of localization coefficients, the analysis of structural shifts, and the evaluation of the openness of the regional economy by calculating import, export, and commodity exchange coefficients. These methods help identify the region’s advantages, which can serve as a foundation for improving its economic condition, because with accurate characteristics of the regional economy and knowing its strengths and vulnerabilities, it is possible to draw up a more precise development scenario for the region. Nizhny Novgorod Oblast was chosen as a case study to test this approach. The integrated approach results have been compared with the economic position indicators of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast in several rankings. Consequently, this comprehensive analysis of the competitive advantages of one region in the Russian Federation enables the identification of its flagship industries and potential areas for development.

This paper explores how hosting a sports mega-event in a small regional center affects the business environment for local entrepreneurs. Saransk, the capital of Mordovia and one of the host cities for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, is chosen as the case study. The research methodology combines statistical analysis with content analysis of in-depth interviews. The sports mega-event in question led to infrastructural transformations, changes in institutional conditions for doing business, and creating a competitive environment in local markets. Interviews with entrepreneurs and statistical data reveal that the tourism, hotel, and restaurant sectors benefited from the influx of foreign guests. However, long-term prospects are more closely tied to domestic tourism rather than international visitors. Hosting the 2018 FIFA World Cup brought Saransk not only sports and other infrastructure facilities but also heightened competition for local businesses, particularly evident in the accommodation and retail sectors. In recent years, local entrepreneurs have had to compete with both national and international companies that entered the Mordovian market in preparation for the World Cup.

This article examines social distancing as a process of social interaction among residents of Novosibirsk. The scientific and practical interest in this metropolis stems from its ranking as the fourth-highest city in terms of migrant inflow in Russia. Drawing on data from the ongoing sociological study “The State of the Social Situation, Interethnic and Interfaith Relations in Novosibirsk, " which has been conducted since 2018 using a multidimensional, stratified sampling model, the authors conclude that social distance in relations with migrants has increased in the city, alongside greater integration by nationality. The paper categorizes types of social interaction and proves that individuals who have personally experienced violations of their rights due to ethnicity see grounds for conflictual relationships and conflicts to a greater or lesser extent.

The article introduces an approach to studying migration determinants through the socio-psychological essence of this phenomenon. The authors propose viewing migration behaviors as outcomes arising from interactions between environmental factors and individual personality traits, conceptualized under the complex framework of motivational drivers of migration. A step-by-step methodology has been developed to identify these motivational drivers, aiming to pinpoint combinations of external factors and personal characteristics most strongly correlating with migration activity. This method incorporates various statistical techniques such as factor analysis, regression analysis, chi-square independence tests, cluster analysis, and decision trees. It was applied to priority geostrategic territories among young people in Russia’s Arctic Zone. Empirical data for the study were derived from a survey of8,600 individuals aged 16-35 residing in Arctic regions across nine constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The research identifies 10 motivational drivers influencing youth migration from Arctic regions, categorized into four groups: professional opportunities, educational prospects, climate and environmental factors, and social connections. The structural components of these motivational drivers are specified, and their significance is interpreted in depth. These findings enhance existing tools for analyzing migration processes by enabling the examination of complex configurations of motivational drivers, wherein environmental conditions and personality traits interact nonlinearly to influence migration decisions. Understanding these drivers of migration holds practical implications for effectively adjusting regional socio-economic and migration policies.

The research objective is to reveal the relationship between the quality of life in regions and the health-promoting behaviors of their populations. To achieve this, we have analyzed behavioral attitudes and the characteristics of potential choices related to health, examining the balance between the desire to be healthy and the specific actions taken to improve and maintain health across various groups of regions. This dimension of research highlights the resource mechanisms that facilitate health-promoting and longer lifespans, depending on regional conditions and quality of life. The study groups Russian regions based on their quality-of-life rankings. The empirical data is sourced from the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey - Higher School of Economics (RLMS-HSE). The main method for testing the hypotheses involves checking statistically significant differences among respondents from different regional groups. Both objective indicators and subjective assessments of health status show higher levels in regions with high and relatively high quality of life. Analysis of health-promoting behaviors reveals that populations in regions with high and relatively high quality of life more frequently visit doctors and participate in preventive medical examinations. Men show less responsibility toward health-promoting matters than women, often postponing doctor visits and medical check-ups. The level of physical activity of any intensity is also higher among residents of regions with a high quality of life, and vice versa. In contrast, regions with relatively low quality of life exhibit a passive model of health-promoting behavior. An increase in the share of men choosing health-promoting strategies has a much stronger impact on life expectancy at birth. Addressing the issue of low male life expectancy in Russia involves popularizing healthy lifestyles, developing accessible infrastructure, and improving the organization of sports, physical culture, and preventive medical examinations.

The article investigates the factors influencing the development of socially oriented non-profit organizations (SO NPOs) in two Far Eastern regions: Khabarovsk and Primorsky Krais. The empirical basis of the study includes data from open sources such as registers of social service providers, ratings of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in terms of support for SO NPOs by the Ministry of Economic Development and the RAEXagency, as well as expert interviews with managers and employees of non-profit organizations in Khabarovsk and Vladivostok, conducted in 2022. The results of the study show that the primary development vector of the non-profit sector of social services in the Far East is aimed at mobilizing its own resources and assisting social groups that do not receive the necessary services in the public sector. The ongoing transformation of the third sector is largely associated with structural changes in regional management and the rotation of managerial personnel at the level of individual entities. It is noted that under these conditions, there has been a significant reduction in the range and volume of state support, prompting non-profit organizations to seek alternative ways to maintain sustainability. Prospects for the development of SO NPOs are linked to the formation of a unified network of resource centers for SO NPOs in the Far Eastern Federal District and the development of a “road map " for the sector’s development. This plan involves addressing local NPO deficits by extrapolating successful practices of working with businesses, volunteer associations, and creating intra-sector partnerships for implementing social projects.

The article analyzes large-scale projects aimed at establishing a grid-like rail network in Siberia and the Russian Far East, aligning with a global trend. It focuses on meridional railway projects connecting the Tyva Republic (Tuva) with the Russian railway system. These projects explore the concept of creating a Eurasian transport corridor, which not only integrates the meridional and latitudinal elements of Russia’s rail network but also connects with China’s one through access to the Belt and Road Initiative megaproject transport corridor. The integration approach to the Tuvan transport problem emphasizes justifying the use of Russia’s resources for implementing regional railway projects based on their visible social effectiveness in contributing to the development of the Russian grid-like rail network. Three project connections through Mongolia to the Chinese railways are analyzed. The effectiveness of these options is assessed as a comparative category, evaluating the achievement of all-Russian strategy goals by different railway projects or their components. The study also supports the assessment procedures by software products ASPER 3 and GlobalD, jointly developed by the Institute of Economics and Industrial Engineering SB RAS and the Siberian Transport University, Federal Agency for Rail Transport (Russia).

The article examines the development models chosen by post-Soviet Eurasian countries as they pursue modernization reforms. It highlights how they blend formal “westernization" in the political sphere with “substantive nationalization." Here we analyze the challenges of modernization in nation-building (including the incompatibility of religious and cultural traditions with secular political systems, risks from the introduction of super-powerful presidential authority, risks of political pluralism, issues in restructuring social governance systems, etc.). It is shown that modernization should not be seen merely as adopting a Western model focused on economic growth but should also aim for social development and social justice. The article also examines the construction of the strategic Belt and Road Initiative and its impact on the development of post-Soviet countries in the Eurasian macro-region, particularly through improving governance systems and jointly seeking new opportunities for development.

The issue of air pollution in Russian cities remains a significant challenge for the country’s socio-economic development. This article presents the results of a study on the factors contributing to atmospheric air pollution from stationary sources in municipalities of the Siberian Federal District from 2008 to the 2020s. Through econometric modeling of panel data, including control for potential endogeneity, we establish that the volume of shipped products and investment in fixed capital positively impact atmospheric air pollution. At this stage of municipal development, expenditures on environmental protection do not correlate with a reduction in pollution, suggesting a deficit in investment in environmental protection measures. An increase in the number of heat supply sources leads to higher emissions from stationary sources. The study reveals a gap in pollution levels between areas with different predominant industries and finds varying degrees of influence of these factors depending on the type and sectoral specialization of the municipality. Further research on the socio-economic causes of atmospheric air pollution at the municipal level is necessary to draft effective strategies for optimizing pollutant emissions as part of state environmental policy.

This article investigates the impact of climate change on the livelihoods of the rural population in the European North, specifically based on a sociological study conducted in the summer of 2022 in the Primorsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast. The paper presents data on climate change in the Primorsky District, showing that warming trends are altering the dynamics of dangerous hydrometeorological phenomena that affect the economy and society. In-depth interviews with rural residents revealed that the greatest threats to their livelihoods are strong (storm) winds, fog, thaws, floods, and changes in the timing of ice formation and ice drift. These hazardous natural and climatic phenomena negatively impact navigation, fishing, food and medical safety, and local infrastructure. The study assessed the vulnerability and adaptability of the local population to climate change. It found that villagers do not perceive climate change as the main threat to their livelihoods but view it through the lens of more pressing social and economic issues. Their adaptation to climate change is reactive, relying on traditional knowledge and skills. The results of this study can be used to develop regional strategies and measures for the adaptation of northern communities to climate change.

The implementation of participatory budgeting projects at the local level in the Russian Federation since 2007 has yielded visible results in effectively exercising the powers of local self-government bodies. Active local communities have emerged, becoming key players in generating and implementing management decisions by local authorities. Given the successful integration of participatory budgeting elements into municipal management, it is now feasible to consider scaling these procedures to the regional level of governance, integrating them into the activities of public authorities of the Russian Federation’s constituent entities. This raises the task of identifying the areas and methods for incorporating participatory budgeting mechanisms into regional authorities’ activities. This article describes the prerequisites for extending participatory budgeting mechanisms to the powers of public authorities and examines the procedures of participatory budgeting in regional management processes. The research findings can be used in developing approaches to coordinate sectoral strategic and program documents and prepare program documents for advancing participatory budgeting in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.