Ecological factors in the Russian economy and quality of life of the population

The article provides a brief economic and statistical analysis of the state of the environment in Russia and the degree to which the economic activity affects the environment and natural resources on the basis of the system of indices/indicators compiled by Rosstat, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation and other federal executive bodies (within the framework of the federal plan of statistical work). Official statistics confirms a position shared by many experts that for the last decade situation with the protection of the environment and vital human interests from the possible negative impact of economic and other activities, as well as from hazardous natural phenomena, or the level of environmental safety in the territory where resides the majority of the Russian population has not undergone any significant improvements.
A number of segments of the economic activity in modern Russia are characterized by degradation of the environment, high levels of carbon emissions and inadequate energy efficiency, outdated and inefficient production technologies, growing scarcity of resources and their losses, and costs associated with all these issues. In addition, statistical data indicates that environmental safety is adversely affected by the depletion of mineral, raw, aquatic and biological resources, including because of the prevalence of extractive and resource intensive industries in the economy, inefficient and «predatory» nature management, large share of shadow economic activity in the use of natural resources, presence of environmentally unfavorable territories characterized by a high degree of pollution and degradation of natural complexes.
The article highlights issues related to reforming the system of indicators and environmental statistics itself due to the worsening of the situation with the functioning of a significant number of environmentally hazardous industries, with a shortage of facilities for cleaning atmospheric emissions, industrial and municipal wastewater, processing, neutralization, utilization, disposal and processing of solid waste from manufacturing and consumption, as well as in connection with environmental pollution caused by transboundary transport of toxic substances, infectious agents and radioactive substances from the territories of other states.
Despite the extremely volatile environmental situation in the country in general, some positive trends have been noted, such as the measures taken in Russia aimed at protecting the atmospheric air have made it possible to reduce the additional death rate of the population and its morbidity determined by the negative impact of pollution.

environment, natural resources, natural ecosystems, natural and anthropogenic objects, nature protection activity, rational nature management, environmental safety management system, means of ensuring environmental safety, threat to environmental safety, environmental safety, environmentally safe technologies, environmental education, environmental damage, ecologization of the economy

1. Report of the RAS «On the state of fundamental sciences in the Russian Federation and on the most important scientific achievements of Russian scientists in 2016». (In Russ.). Available at: http://infopedia.su/5x53c2.html.

2. Krivoshein D.A., Muravei L.A., Roeva N.N. et al. Ekologiya i bezopasnost' zhiznedeyatel'nosti: Ucheb. posobie dlya vuzov. Pod red. L.A. Мuravei [Ecology and Safety: Textbook for high schools. Ed. by Muravei L.A.]. Moscow, YuNITI-DANA Publ., 2000. 447 p. (In Russ.).

3. Khotuntsev Yu.A. Ekologiya i ekologicheskaya bezopasnost'. Uchebnik [Ecology and ecological safety. Textbook]. (In Russ.). Available at: http://www.e-ng.ru/ekologiya.

4. Brinchuk M.M. Ekologicheskoe pravo. Uchebnik [Environmental law. Textbook]. Eksmo Publ., 2015. (In Russ.). Available at: http://www.kniga.com.

5. The Human Development Report 2016 'Human Development for Everyone'. UNDP. (In Russ.). Available at: hdr.undp.org.

6. Encyclopedia of statistical terms. Federal State Statistics Service, Higher School of Economics. Official site of Rosstat. (In Russ.). Available at: http // www.gks.ru.

7. Doklad Komissii po otsenke ekonomicheskikh rezul'tatov i sotsial'nogo progressa [Report of the Commission on the assessment of economic performance and social progress]. Voprosy statistiki, 2010, no. 11 and no. 12; 2011, no. 2 and no. 3. (In Russ.).

8. Glazyrina I.P., Faleichik L.M., Yakovleva K.A. Sotsial'no-ekonomicheskaya effektivnost' i «zelenyi» rost regional'nogo lesopol'zovaniya [Socio-economic efficiency and «green» growth of regional forest management]. Geography and natural resources, 2015, no.   4, pp. 17-25. (In Russ.).