Vologda Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences
RuEn

Assessing the Socio-Economic Potential of Rural Territories

12.05.2021 Scientific Research

Senior Researcher at the Department for the Studies of Socio-Economic Development Problems and Management in Territorial Systems (Deputy Head – Dr. Sci. (Econ.) T.V. Uskova of VolRC RAS, Can. Sci. (Econ.) N.V. Voroshilov proposed a methodological approach to assessing the socio-economic potential of rural territories and, based on its approbation, determined priority areas for ensuring their integrated and sustainable development. The research was funded by the grant of the President of the Russian Federation no. MK-2019.2020.6 “Managing integrated socio-economic development of the northern rural territories within the implementation of the state policy on regional development”.

Currently, the relevance of the research of trends and potential for rural territories development is primarily caused by increased attention of scientists and public authorities to spatial topics. In 2019, the Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2025 and the new State Program of the Russian Federation “Integrated Rural Development” were approved.

The Author concluded that the key problems of the development of Russian rural territories and European Russian North are:

  • unfavorable demographic conditions;
  • a low level of accomplished housing with all kinds of amenities;
  • a high share of population that is provided with poor-quality drinking water;
  • a noticeable lag of rural population’s income in comparison with urban citizens’ incomes.
  • most municipal districts of the Vologda Oblast are characterized by the average potential level of their rural territories.

Based on the analysis results of the main trends and problems and the assessment of rural territories’ potential, the author has identified the key development areas.

1. To fully ensure the implementation of measures and achievement of objectives of the state program of the Russian Federation “Complex Development of Rural Territories”.

2. Regarding the economic diversification and employment of rural population, it is necessary to ensure equal access of agricultural producers to the means of state support; to render state support to development of small and medium enterprises in rural territories, including rural tourism (the formation of local brands, introduction of a fulltime specialist in the development of tourism and recreation in the economic departments of municipal districts).

3. To create conditions for attracting extrabudgetary sources of financing for investments in the rural social and engineering infrastructure including the introduction of the project realization practice on the basis of public-private and municipal-private partnerships.

4. To ensure the development of various forms of agricultural cooperation.

5. To assemble professional teams of experts, specialists, and activists interested in the rural territories’ development in each entity of the Russian Federation.

6. To actively support and develop various cooperation forms between municipalities (implementation of joint projects, events, establishment of inter-municipal organizations, etc.).

7. To support various forms of public participation in the municipality’s development management (territorial public self-government, initiative budgeting, citizens’ self-taxation, village headmen, etc.).

In general, Russia’s rural territories can successfully develop only using a complex and systematic approach to their development by all authorities and ensuring effective interaction between authorities, business, population, scientific community, and modern innovative technology adoption in the agro-industrial complex and municipalities’ administration.

More details are in the article.
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