For the first time in the territory of the Russian Far East, a study related to the establishment of correlations between air quality and public health in Ulan-Ude (Buryatia, Russia) was carried out. This study is based on the analysis of official medical statistics on morbidity over several years, the data on the composition and volume of emissions of harmful substances into the air from various stationary sources, and laboratory measurements of air pollutants in different locations in Ulan-Ude. This study confirmed that the morbidity of the population in Ulan-Ude has been increasing every year and it is largely influenced by air pollutants, the main of which are benzo(a)pyrene, suspended solids, PM2.5, PM10, and nitrogen dioxide. It was found that the greatest contribution to the unfavorable environmental situation is made by three types of stationary sources: large heating networks, autonomous sources (enterprises and small businesses), and individual households. The main air pollutants whose concentrations exceed the limits are benzo(a)pyrene, formaldehyde, suspended particles PM2.5, PM10, and nitrogen dioxide. A comprehensive assessment of the content of various pollutants in the atmospheric air showed that levels of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks to public health exceeded allowable levels. Priority pollutants in the atmosphere of Ulan-Ude whose concentrations create unacceptable levels of risk to public health are benzo(a)pyrene, suspended solids, nitrogen dioxide, PM2.5, PM10, formaldehyde, and black carbon. The levels of morbidity in Ulan-Ude were higher than the average for Buryatia by the main disease classes: respiratory organs—by 1.19 times, endocrine system—by 1.25 times, circulatory system—by 1.11 times, eye diseases—by 1.06 times, neoplasms—by 1.47 times, congenital anomalies, and deformations and chromosomal aberrations—by 1.63 times. There is an increase in the incidence of risk-related diseases of respiratory organs and the circulatory system. A strong correlation was found between this growth of morbidity and atmospheric air pollution in Ulan-Ude.

During the existence of the USSR, Mongolia was in the sphere of political and economic interests of Russia. On the one hand, the decrease of economic relations between Russia and Mongolia, and, on the other hand, the geographical proximity of Russia and China have made it necessary to search for new partners and sources of investment in mining, processing industry, energy and transport, service and tourism. The growing interest of foreign countries in Mongolia and presence of their representatives there undoubtedly speaks of the growing political and economic competition in the region. In the face of the current global geopolitical situation, growth of China’s influence in Mongolia’s economy and infrastructure projects being carrying out within the framework of the New Silk Road Concept, the role of border regions and cross-border interaction is growing. One way to increase the presence of other countries is by attracting investment or directly participating in the construction of new infrastructure facilities. The need to find ways of rational territorial organization of economic activities, using the potential of border areas, strengthening the infrastructure cooperation between the two countries determine the urgency of further research. A large amount of accumulated information on this subject of research and developed research methods, singled out comparable indicators of social and economic development of the regions of Russia and Mongolia allow for a qualitative, comprehensive study.

in this article, we look at the issue of air pollution in cities in the Asian part of Russia, which are the industrial centres of the regions. Air pollution is shaped by a number of factors, including natural ones. In recent years, studies have been carried out in Russia and in foreign countries to determine the impact of pollutants emitted into the atmospheric air. There is a direct correlation between the state of public health and the amount of pollutants in the atmospheric air. Exceeding the maximum allowable concentrations in the air of territories threatens the life and health of people living in them. We have looked at the level of air pollution in cities, including the most polluted ones, and the measures taken by the government and large companies to mitigate the negative effects.

In this article, we propose a new approach to the development of measures to reduce the negative impact of pollutant emissions from stationary sources. For the first time, a systematic approach was applied to the development of measures to reduce the negative impact of emissions into the atmosphere for a large city in the Baikal Natural Territory (a case study of Ulan-Ude). The use of a systematic approach helped us to achieve the following outcomes: to develop a geographic information system with sources of emissions into the air of Ulan-Ude (GIS “Air of Ulan-Ude”); to identify natural factors of atmospheric air pollution in Ulan-Ude; to develop registers of stationary sources of emissions; to assess the impact of air pollution on public health; to carry out a sociological survey using questionnaires; to propose suitable technical solutions to reduce the emissions. The research methodology involved the concept of sustainable development, in terms of preserving living conditions for future generations of mankind. The institutional approach was also used to study the environmental situation from the perspective of the interaction of social institutions. A sociological study of private households in the context of financial and environmental aspects of heat supply for different types of heating systems led us to the conclusion that the problem of pollutant emissions by households is related to the standard of living and the availability of green fuel. The following measures were proposed to improve the quality of atmospheric air. The functional zoning of residential areas for industrial and housing development should take into account climatic, natural, and technogenic factors affecting the redistribution of pollutants in the surface layer of the atmosphere. The authorities should assist in connecting residential buildings to central heating. State support for the transition to clean fuels (gas, electricity, smokeless fuel, etc.) through subsidies, partial compensations, and other incentive programs. State support for the development of small-scale power generation and alternative energy; raising public awareness of the need to reduce emissions into the atmosphere.

We analysed the balance of environmental, social and economic development of the regions of Asian Russia, assessing the level of adjusted net savings. Using the selected indicators and the assessment of natural, social and production capital values, the typology of territorial production and resource structures of the regions of Asian Russia has been created. Based on the k-means method, using ‘Statistica 12’ software, the clustering and structural zoning by the ratio of natural, productive and human capital in the regions of Asian Russia was carried out.