The Sea-Shore System and Sustainable Development of Crimea

The article highlights the connection between various environmental, economic, and social processes that take place within the Sea-Shore system, which constitutes a complex natural, economic, and social phenomenon. These processes stem from a high level of economic activity in the region, influenced by the ethnic factor. As a result, in order to efficiently resolve the issues faced by the Crimean Peninsula, all of these components must be taken into account as a whole while developing a sustainable development plan. The purpose of this article is to justify the need for reviewing the Sea-Shore system as part of the sustainable development concept for coastal areas, using the Crimean peninsula as an example. Studies show that, as economic activity increases but the resources remain limited, various economic entities find themselves involved in an inevitable conflict over access to the natural resources of coastal areas, as well as over possible alternative uses for such resources and the arising limitations. There are several sides to such conflicts, both economic, social, political, and legal, which is why they often cause a noticeable stir among the public. We point out that in the case of Crimea, the importance of putting in place a sustainable development concept is defined by the current processes and issues that are connected with the development of the Sea-Shore system, based on the geostrategic interests of the Russian Federation. Our research validates a conclusion that, since the entire Crimean region lies within a coastal area, it is crucial to harmonize local governance in tune the sustainable development concept, while taking into account all the processes characteristic of such a complex social construct as the Sea-Shore system, which encompasses three main elements: nature, society, and economy.

Sea-Shore system, sustainable development, coastal area, Crimean Peninsula, marine economic complex, social and economic development