Legal protection of atmospheric air in the context of sustainable development and public health: Russia and the world experience

Abstract

The article deals with the legal regulation of air protection in the context of sustainable development and public health. The foreign methods of assessing the quality of atmospheric air are analyzed. The approaches to damage assessment used in Russia and other countries are compared. It also provides a brief overview of the gaps in legal regulation in Russia. The author considers it necessary to ensure the use of monetization of environmental losses of the state in mutual connection with other instruments of public administration. The environmental losses in monetary terms should ultimately serve as a basis for taking measures to reduce them. The concept of sustainable development is enshrined in many international legal instruments and national legislation. Its implementation is designed to pursue and achieve a balance between sustainable management of natural resources and economic development. Obviously the health of population should be considered as one of the main sustainable development indicators for countries with stable economic growth. The growth in industrial production leads to an increase in the emissions. The air is a transit environment, that is why the effects of its pollution have a negative impact on the quality of the neighbouring environmental components – water, soils, animals, flora. All these factors will have the inevitable and negative consequence for human health. It is due to the rising rates of morbidity and premature mortality the economically advanced countries include this factor into their state planning and monetize it.