Problems and Prospects of Sustainable Development of the Gold Mining Industry in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is one of the old industrial regions of Russia, with the first gold mines starting to appear in Southern Yakutia in the early 20th century. Today, the gold mining industry is one of the strategic sectors of the country’s economy, therefore, the study of its condition is especially relevant at the present unstable time caused by recent events in the world economy. The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)is home to large gold deposits: Nezhdaninskoye, Kuchus, Kuranakhskoye ore field, Gross, Tabornoye, Tokko, Badran, as well as placers of the Bolshoy Kuranakh River, located in the South Yakutian, Upper Indigirka, Allakh Yun, Kular and Adychan gold-bearing areas, which are currently being developed by large gold mining holdings of the country: PJSC “Polyus Gold”, JSC “Polymetal”, Nord Gold, PJSC “Vysochajshij” (GV Gold), etc. The purpose of this article is to identify the problems and prospects of sustainable balanced development of the industry based on the analysis of the current state of the gold mining industry in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). To achieve the goal, the following tasks are set: an analysis of the mineral resource base of ore and placer gold; the structure of the gold mining industry in the region; research of the resource potential of the main subsurface users; structuring the problems of sustainable development of the industry by mineral, economic, institutional, organizational and environmental components. The research uses the methods of factor, system and dynamic analysis based on official regional statistics, industry and production data of gold mining enterprises. The article contains a rating of gold-mining municipal districts of the region, as well as large ore deposits. The problems of sustainable development of the gold mining industry are identified, as well as objects of the near and future prospects, a forecast assessment of gold production in the region is given.