Structural Economic Change and the Natural Environment in the Russian Federation

Many of Russia's contemporary environmental problems can be related, at least in part, to the activities of the Soviet period. However, the strength of this relationship can sometimes result in the environmental influences of post-Soviet society being ignored or understated. In recognition of this fact, this article examines the relationship between structural economic change and the natural environment in the post-Soviet period. The first part of the article is concerned with general economic trends and associated environmental consequences during the period 1990 to 1997. It then moves on to consider the environmental repercussions of structural changes within the country's industrial and agricultural sectors.