Content №4 от 2019
Water Resources as an Impediment to Social and Economic Development in Crimea
The article discusses the peculiar development of the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol after their reintegration as parts of Russia with a shortage of fresh water on the peninsula, intentionally created by Ukraine for political reasons. We present results of the Priority Action Plan to ensure domestic and drinking water supply to these new constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The article analyzes the course of water management activities stipulated in the federal special-purpose program «Social and Economic Development of the Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol until 2020», shows what corrections have been introduced into this document and the reasons behind them. We consider a controversial project for river flow transfer, as well as examine structural changes in the region’s economy and environmental impacts of fresh water scarcity. The article presents ways to increase water supplies in Crimea and ongoing comprehensive research addressing this problem.