THE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCE POTENTIAL AND THE INTERREGIONAL ASYMMETRY OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE STEPPE ZONE REGIONS OF RUSSIA

Abstract

Natural climatic conditions and natural resource potential are the key factors that determine the development sustainability of
the steppe zone regions of Russia. The use of natural resource potential is a determinant in the interregional asymmetry of the socio-economic development of steppe regions. In today’s context, regional imbalances are becoming a national security problem, going beyond exclusively social
and economic issues and forming complex risks, challenges, and threats.
The purpose of the study is to assess the impact of natural resource potential on the formation of interregional asymmetry of sustainable
development of Russia’s steppe regions. The authors have compiled a database of indicators characterizing the state of natural resource potential
(NRP) for 18 regions of the steppe zone. A rating assessment of the steppe zone regions by groups of indicators reflecting the use of NRP was
carried out based on the authors' methodology. The authors constructed a cartographic diagram of the results of rating assessment of the regions by
groups of NRP indicators and cluster analysis of the ratings of indicators characterizing NRP and the sustainable development goals (SDG). The
relationship between ratings of the NRP use and SDG indicators based on the calculated Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients was estimated.
There is a negative trend in the dynamics of indicators of the forest resources state in the regions of the Russian steppe zone, and also a
reduction in the area of agricultural land (by 4% in the regions, on average).
The study revealed that the ratings of the use of natural resource potential are interrelated: for the ‘water resources’ group of indicators, a
direct connection was revealed with the ratings of the ‘mineral resources’ and ‘land resources’ groups of indicators. The ratings of six blocks of
sustainable development goals have a close direct connection with the rating of the use of mineral resources; more than half of the ratings of the
blocks of sustainable development goals are connected with the rating of the use of water resources.