Future Soviet Investment in Transportation, Energy, and Environmental Protection.

摘要

This study outlines the current state of the transportation, energy, and environmental protection sectors in the Soviet economy. It also projects investment schedules for these sectors. Of the three areas, energy seems to be the least troubled. Both transportation and environmental protection have suffered from years of neglect and will continue to deteriorate unless priorities are substantially changed. The transportation system depends heavily on rail. Unfortunately, the rail network has been deteriorating rapidly, because of low levels of maintenance and increased demands for freight transport. Automobile transportation is a growing but still small part of the overall transportation network. It is hampered by both the quality of the roads and the poor quality of truck and automobile manufacturing. The energy sector has proved more efficient, and infinitely more profitable, than the other two. Environmental protection is now receiving substantial attention from the leadership, largely because of international concern for environmental issues. The traditional Soviet practices of extensive rather than intensive growth have led to dangerous levels of air and water pollution. In addition, irresponsible water reclamation has led to erosion and salinization of farm land and destruction of important water sources.