From the Editorial Board

Abstract

Russia has the largest mineral resource potential and is one of the world's leading producers of minerals. At the same time, the investment attractiveness of the country's mineral resource base is relatively low due to the unfavorable geographical and economic location of many mineral deposits, the relatively low quality of mineral raw materials, and their weak competitiveness in the current economic conditions. There is no long-term state strategy in the field of subsoil exploration, reproduction of mineral resource base and technical re-equipment of enterprises for extraction and primary processing of minerals. These negative factors in the near future may lead to significant difficulties in the functioning of the mineral and raw materials complex and to a slowdown in economic development. Conducting an effective policy in the sphere of rational use of mineral and raw material base requires taking into account the consequences of globalization of the world economy, the projected growth of consumption of mineral and raw material resources in the 21st century and is the most important condition for structural reorganization and modernization of the economy and consistent increase in the welfare of the population. Rational use of natural resources should be understood as an effective, targeted use of natural resources, carried out in compliance with public interests, taking into account ecological links in the natural environment and in conjunction with the protection of nature as the basis of life and human activity. Environmental protection at the present stage is an element of an independent, very specific production activity, which should be based on the corresponding economic and legal regulatory framework. The primary role in creating the basis for rational nature management is assigned to state planning and regulation. Among the strategic goals of the Russian Federation in the field of environmental protection and rational nature management are the following: Consistent solution of the problems of development of the economic complex of the state, which takes into full account the ecological and natural-geographical conditions of specific territories; Achievement in each specific territory of the quality of the living environment that meets the system of assessments of genetic health of the population; Restoration and preservation of biosphere equilibrium, genetic fund of fauna; Rational use of all natural-resource potential of the country. Within the framework of the solution of the set problems, scientific teams of Russian universities have united their scientific knowledge and works in the proposed volume.