The term "development" is one of the frequently used in various fields of knowledge. By it is meant a progressive upward movement towards something. Development is a progressive directional change in indicators, and most often it is about growth. In relation to the economy, development means progress in a particular area of economic activity. In the form of a graph, this process will appear as an ascending line (straight or jagged) relative to the overall timeline.
Sometimes development also means the reverse process associated with a decrease in performance. In this case, one speaks of the development of regression (recession) in the economy, of the negative development of the economy. But in this sense, the term "development" is used less often. Regional economic development is an integral part of world development.
World process
Developmenteconomy occurs all over the world and is associated with the overall development of mankind. Less perfect technology is replaced by a more perfect one, which increases labor productivity. The scale of extraction of resources, the volume of crops, the personal well-being of citizens and the amount of products they consume are growing. Global GDP is also growing. Along with this, in some regions, the reverse process is taking place and economic indicators are declining. Now the most striking example of this is Venezuela, where economic indicators have collapsed.
Environmental Issues
Economic development is almost always accompanied by costs in the form of a reduction in natural areas, an increase in environmental pressure, climate change, pollution, an increase in the number of diseases, a reduction in certain economic sectors (for example, fishing, hunting, recreation). The greatest harm to the environment is caused by extensive industrial and agricultural development, urbanization and the so-called industrial tourism, which is actively promoted in our country.
Economic development and social sphere
The pursuit of economic progress may even harm the social sphere. Excessive burden on workers, raising the retirement age, stimulating the birth rate and other similar measures are not good for the population, although they contribute to economic growth. Therefore, in many countries more and more attention is paid to the social aspect, trying not only to increase the bare numbers, but also to make people's lives better. Optimala variant of this is the socialist system. Under capitalism, this is more difficult to do. Main aspects of socio-economic development:
- increase in income of the population;
- changes in various structures of society;
- change in public consciousness;
- changing habits and traditions.
The main goal of economic development in many countries is to improve the quality of life of the population, not bare numbers. Now this approach is becoming more widespread.
Economic development of regions
Each region has its own weaknesses and problems, and therefore federal programs need to be adjusted at the regional level, adjusting to the characteristics of a particular region. The main goals of regional socio-economic development are: increasing the income of citizens, reducing poverty, improving he althcare, developing regional education, improving the quality of food, solving environmental problems, developing culture, sports, the labor market, creating recreation areas and their improvement.
In regions that have lost their former economic importance, it is necessary to create new industries that meet the needs of the time, and retrain the workforce. Such areas should be under special control of the federal authorities.
Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation
The development process should be under the control of the central government of the country. For the purpose of coordinating and managing such matters,processes, a federal center was created - the Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation. Until September 2014, it was called the Ministry of Regional Development of Russia. Now the minister of this department is Igor Nikolayevich Slyunyaev, who is empowered to issue orders.
The Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation is a federal executive body pursuing state policy in terms of improving the regions. Responsible for the provision of state support, the implementation of projects for the socio-economic development of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Much attention is paid to the protection of the rights of national minorities and small peoples living in Russia. For support, funds from the Investment Fund of the Russian Federation and allocations from the federal budget are used. Comprehensive territorial development programs and rules for the allocation of funds are being developed. Questions on urban planning, housing and communal services, and the implementation of federal targeted programs are being considered and studied. The emergence of an institution of regional development makes it possible to quickly and cost-effectively supervise various types of activities in the regions, which will intensify the processes of governing the country and accelerate overall economic growth.
Methods for assessing the economic development of regions
The standard method for assessing regional economic development is the analysis of production volumes. Basically, it means material production. The dynamics of the income of the population is also important. Currentlythis approach is being gradually revised. International organizations propose to expand the list of indicators to include such aspects as he alth care, education, environmental protection, and the quality of life of citizens. The United Nations Development Program proposes to use the so-called human development index. Indicators for each of these areas are tracked separately.
There are a lot of indicators of the economic development of the regions. The condition and number of kindergartens, schools, higher educational institutions, the general level of education and qualifications of workers are important parameters that determine the degree of development of the region. Modern indicators are also such as the observance of consumer rights, the quality of products and goods.
Problems of development in the regions of the Russian Federation
According to a number of parameters, our country is rightfully classified as a developing country. So, the state of medicine is one of the worst in the world. Russia has low life expectancy and a high prevalence of chronic diseases. This is largely due to the habits and lifestyle of the population itself. Drunkenness is very common in Russia. There is a low level of culture, ecological self-awareness. Income inequality drastically slows down economic and social progress.
Negative trends extend to the quality of food, goods and services. The income level of the population is also very low. Many cities have serious environmental problems. The most developed in our country, of course, are the oil-producing regions of Western Siberia, as well asMoscow region. They are more in line with the criteria of economically developed countries.
Military sphere
The military sphere, which is best developed in our country, is not included among the indicators of socio-economic development and is considered only in the context of the development of the armed forces. At the same time, it is often an impetus for progress in the economy and social life of the region, contributes to the development of regional education, housing and communal services, transport, trade, etc.
Depressed regions
In Russia there are backward depressed regions that flourished during the Soviet Union, after the collapse of which the products they produced were not in demand, which sharply worsened their socio-economic situation. The rapid depletion of conventional oil reserves in Western Siberia could cause now developed cities like Tyumen to rapidly degrade. The decline in production may begin in the coming years. However, this region is not suitable for the development of agriculture.
Territorial entities that do not depend on the extraction of non-renewable resources will be able to develop and are less likely to become depressed. Agriculture and tourism, with the right approach, can be a source of stable income and will not lose relevance in the future. The likely risks here are related to climate change and possible soil depletion (if used incorrectly). It is known that chernozem has a tendency to depletion. In the presence of adverse climatic shifts, these trends may intensify. In pastEurope has lost a significant part of the harvest, due to drought and extreme heat caused by global warming. And the ski resorts in Switzerland have big problems for the same reason.
In Russia, many regions are located in the zone of risky farming, where agriculture can become (or has already become) unprofitable. This will affect the level of their economic development. These include: the Volga region, the Rostov region, the Southern Urals, the south of Western Siberia and some others.
State strategy
The regional development management is based on a differentiated approach to the implementation of the state regional policy, taking into account differences in the resource base, regional differences, peculiarities of the region's history and socio-cultural background.
The Soviet Union was distinguished by a developed planning strategy. After its collapse in the early 90s, the trend of market dominance prevailed. The chaotic nature of governance persists to this day. And if at the federal level the situation after the 90s partially improved, then at the regional level there are often serious problems with planning. Often, the development of certain industries in the regions does not lead to a noticeable improvement in the socio-economic situation in them. This is due to the fact that many industries are subordinate to the capital's private companies, which are not always interested in the prosperity of the entity where they conduct their business.
Clear development strategyregions are often missing. There are only some of its elements. The lack of high-quality state planning and full-fledged centers for regional development of the subjects of the Federation leads to the fact that many of them exist on their own, which hinders the improvement of the country's economy as a whole. As a result, each owner primarily pursues his own personal interests, which leads to chaos and inconsistency of various types of economic activity in the regions.
Accepted documents
Nevertheless, quite a lot of documents concerning the issues of regional planning have been adopted. There is a concept for long-term socio-economic development until 2020. When planning, the priority areas are: energy, transport, education, he althcare, pipeline construction. The Government of the Russian Federation is responsible for implementing the policy in the field of regional development.
