Major Settlement Research Articles

Anthropogenic stressor impacts on hypolimnetic dissolved oxygen in Lake Erie: A chironomid-based paleolimnological assessment

The central basin of Lake Erie is annually subject to hypolimnetic hypoxia, which affects biochemical processes and aquatic biota. Since European settlement, water quality in Lake Erie has degraded due to land-use changes within its catchment, cultural eutrophication, climate change, and the effects of invasive species. As limnological monitoring data for Lake Erie are largely unavailable prior to the 1970s, paleolimnological methods were used to infer long-term trends in hypolimnetic dissolved oxygen. Changes in lake water quality affect benthic community composition, and those communities can be used as indicators of long-term environmental changes, particularly those that affect hypolimnetic oxygen concentrations. Chironomid subfossil remains preserved in dated sediment cores indicated that the hypolimnion of the central basin was exhibiting low oxygen conditions prior to major Euro-American settlement impacts, and it has been mesotrophic to eutrophic since ∼1850. The disappearance of oxic-type taxa and a transition towards anoxic-tolerant chironomid communities by the 1950s suggest that the severity and duration of hypolimnetic anoxia has increased in recent decades. Variance partitioning analysis (VPA) indicated that both land use and climate variables were significant drivers of these changes in chironomid assemblages in the central basin.

The importance of groundwater for riverine fish faunas in a region of shale gas development in northern Australia

Northern Australia contains the continent’s largest number of intact river systems, but these are facing increasing pressure as the proposed development of multiple and large-scale industries, including onshore gas, mining, horticulture, and agriculture, accelerates. These developments will require the diversion or extraction of large amounts of water and increase the risk of contamination by industrial and agricultural chemicals. There is an urgent need to collect baseline biophysical information on these aquatic systems before major developments proceed. Much community concern has been expressed about the potential environmental impacts of a developing shale gas industry (fracking) in the Beetaloo Sub-basin and upper Roper River region of the Northern Territory. Here we describe the first major survey of the freshwater fish fauna of this region and an assessment of the importance of groundwater in supporting fish biodiversity. This region is remote from major human settlements and the waterbodies are often difficult to access. Accordingly, we maximised the information we collected from limited sampling sessions by using both traditional fish survey methods (netting and electrofishing) and eDNA analysis of water and benthic sediment samples. Water column eDNA doubled the number of species recorded to those obtained from traditional survey methods alone. We found that the fish fauna was richest at sites on northward-flowing groundwater-dependent rivers. More work is needed to fully understand the dependence of individual species on groundwater inflows. However, it is evident that conserving freshwater fish biodiversity in these rivers will require protection of the groundwater resources to ensure baseflows and aquatic refuges persist through the most extended of dry seasons.

Real-time high resolution tracking of coral and oyster larvae

Coral and oyster reefs have declined greatly due to anthropogenic stressors. Low recruitment rates from larvae hamper recovery of these important ecosystems. Although much is known about factors affecting larval settlement, a detailed understanding of their swimming and substrate selection behaviour is lacking. Here, we present an approach to study coral and oyster larval behaviour in unprecedented detail, using a high resolution camera, choice chambers and behavourial analysis software. From second-by-second spatial data, we extracted variables such as swimming pattern, swimming speed and distance travelled using larvae between 0.2 and 3 mm in length. We applied this to larvae of the Caribbean brooding coral Favia fragum and show they locate their major settlement cue, coralline algae, within 90 min when placed in a choice chamber. Oyster (Ostrea edulis) larvae exhibited reduced swimming speed with age, suggesting pre-settlement behaviour. With the presented real-time high resolution tracking approach we can address new questions related to the behaviour of coral, oyster and other marine larvae, with applications in ecology, aquaculture and coastal engineering. Most notable is future development of “flypaper” substrates with cues to promote larval settlement on reefs, to aid restoration efforts.

Multimodal multiscale characterization of cascading hazard on mountain terrain

Extreme precipitation (rain or/and snow) in upstream areas of the Himalayan region often triggers water and sediment hazards, including flash floods, landslides, debris flow, and river damming. These hazards often interact with the environmental and human systems, resulting in acute and chronic disasters that deleteriously impact the economy, infrastructure, and livelihoods. As cascading and compound hazards become more common in the Himalayan region, a more holistic approach is needed to understand the complex interaction among human, natural, and engineered systems and tackle problems connected to several system constraints. Recent catastrophes like the 2021 Melamchi disaster cannot be attributed to a single cause; rather, they result from several geomorphologic and hydroclimatic factors and physical processes. Individual and interacting dynamics and their cascading and compounding effects occurred in various settings, from high elevations to river valleys along the Melamchi River. This study diagnoses the likely causal effects of hydroclimatic processes of the 2021 Melamchi disaster by integrating space-borne remotely sensed data, hydrologic and hydrodynamic modeling, and machine learning techniques. We have evaluated several scenarios of landslide damming and breaching and analyzed flooding impacts on major settlements across the Melamchi River. Model outputs evaluated using satellite flood imagery, field-based surveys, and published reports were used to understand the characteristics of the 2021 Melamchi disaster. We find that earlier rain episodes had saturated the soil and increased the river’s water level. Therefore, after the outburst of the landslide dam coupled with heavy downpours, a sudden release of huge water had enormous energy to inundate vast areas of flood plains and damaged settlements near riverbanks far downstream up to the Melamchi Bazar. It was not just one extreme event that led to the devastation but a series of non-extreme events. This further reinforces the idea that not just extreme events, but several not-extreme series of events may lead to disaster. Thus, the chances of such a sequence of cascading events must be investigated for risk computation along with extreme events.

Aynuna: A Case Study of the Changing Functions of a Hijazi Coastal Settlement from the Nabatean to the Early Islamic Period

A recent study proved that Aynuna has been settled since at least the Hellenistic period and was the major settlement on the Arabian coast of the northern Red Sea in the Nabatean/Roman period, serving as the port of Petra. Scientific literature is mostly concerned with the identification of Aynuna with ancient Leuke Kome, leaving aside the later history of the site. In the late Roman/Byzantine period its significance as a trade centre slowly diminished, although it might have remained a tax collection point. In the early Islamic period, Aynuna served as a local agricultural centre and war port for the Arabian forces conquering the Eastern Desert. Later on, accessibility of fresh water made it a stop on the Egyptian Hajj Route, and antique Aynuna/Leuke Kome finally became Islamic ‘Aynūna. This paper aims to present a diachronic analysis of the changing functions of the site using published archaeological reports and Arabic written sources.

The Network of Railway Settlements of the Tobolsk Province in the Late XIX - Early XX Century

Based on the analysis of mass sources – archival documents of the First General Population Census of the Russian Empire in 1897 and information published by the Tobolsk Provincial Statistical Committee for 1903 and 1909, the number, typical diversity, and population of settlements formed in the exclusion zone of the Perm-Tyumen and West Siberian railways on the territory of the Tobolsk province is determined. A set of statistical methods was used to analyze the sources. A comprehensive interdisciplinary approach allows not only to identify the historical and genetic features of individual documents, but also to give a certain assessment of their representativeness and information potential for specific historical research. Intensive construction of railways has led to the emergence of new types of settlements: stations, independent settlements at stations and on the railway line, barracks and semi-barracks, booths, barracks, guard houses, etc. In 1897, at least 128 railway settlements were functioning on the territory of the province, which was about 2.5% of the total number of all settlements in the studied region. More than two thousand people lived in them permanently and temporarily; on average, there were 18 people per settlement. The major settlements were the Tyumen and Kurgan stations. It is concluded that the primary materials of the 1897 census have the most complete information. In connection with the further construction of the Trans-Siberian railway at the beginning of the XX century, there is an increase in the population of stations and pier settlements, their merger, the emergence of new types of railway settlements.

Settlement and the exploitation of aquatic resources in the Eastern Lower Papaloapan Basin, Veracruz, Mexico

Research conducted since 2003 in and around the regional center of Tres Zapotes, Veracruz documents the importance of aquatic resources and transportation routes for subsistence and settlement over more than two millennia. Systematic archaeological survey over more than 400 km2 in the surrounding Eastern Lower Papaloapan Basin details a persistent focus of major settlements on streams and other bodies of water that would have provided an abundance of food and opportunities for water-born transport. Excavations at Tres Zapotes further indicate that exploitation of aquatic fauna was a significant component of a mixed subsistence strategy for the Olmec and Epi-Olmec inhabitants of the site, who obtained fish, turtles, and waterfowl from streams, lakes, estuaries and coastal marine environments over a range extending no less than 20 km from the center. Artifact inventories and landscape features further suggest an associated subsistence technology that included weighted nets and retention ponds in seasonally flooded areas.

Co Loa: Biography of an Anomalous Place

Situated in present-day Vietnam’s Red River Valley, the settlement known as Co Loa constitutes an early form of city and urbanism in South-East Asia. Given its unprecedented scale and forms of monumentality, Co Loa stands as an anomaly for the greater region during the first millennium bc. This paper presents available material data to highlight the factors and conditions that contributed to its emergence as a major settlement during the region’s late prehistoric period, and considers how the case can contribute to the theoretical literature concerning long-term trajectories of settlement change in the region.

Some Balaton-Lasinja Graves from Veszprém-Jutasi Út and an Outline Chronology for the Earlier Copper Age in Western Hungary

A handful of new radiocarbon dates from three Balaton-Lasinja culture graves at the site of Veszprém-Jutasi út in western Hungary form the starting point for formal models for late Lengyel and post-Lengyel chronology in that region. The graves date to the later fifth millennium cal BC. They provide the opportunity to put the earlier Copper Age Balaton-Lasinja culture of Transdanubia into its regional and wider context, and to highlight both gradually improving understanding of its character and remaining problems of chronology and classification. The Balaton-Lasinja culture was part of a whole series of regional shifts in settlement and society connected to the end of the Neolithic and the demise of major settlement aggregations which had dominated lifestyles in previous centuries. This study indicates how much further detailed research continues to be needed to get fully to grips with this set of important changes, which run on into the Copper Age. Contrasts are drawn between western and eastern Hungary, and the uncertainties surrounding the chronology of the fourth millennium cal BC, including for the Furchenstich pottery style, are emphasised.

Depopulation of the Northern Border of Mesoamerica during the Early Postclassic: Evidence from the Reappraisal of Archaeomagnetic Data

The Mesoamerican Postclassic and Epiclassic were periods of drastic change and transformation related to social, political and economic aspects as well as settlement patterns. Mexico’s northern boundary expansion, rise, and subsequent demise is a matter of debate which remains essentially unsolved. Possible causes include climatic changes, landscape degradation or prolonged bellicose relations with nomadic groups. Still, no consensus exists on why such apparent instability and decline occurred at major archaeological settlements on the northern Mesoamerican border, also known as the septentrional frontier. The scarcity of absolute chronological constraints is definitively a handicap that impedes the assessment of northern Mesoamerica’s development from its apogee to its decline. The archaeomagnetic method has been used during the last decades to analyze burned archaeological artifacts belonging to Mesoamerica’s north and central-west frontiers, including different Mexican states. Namely, high-resolution studies were carried out at Aguascalientes (El Ocote), Guanajuato (El Cóporo, Lo de Juárez and Plazuelas), Jalisco (Cerro de Los Agaves, La Palma and El Palacio de Ocomo) and Zacatecas (La Quemada). It was successfully proved that archaeomagnetic dating might greatly contribute to refining the chronology and development of major pre-Hispanic settlements. These studies were based on available geomagnetic curves at the time of publication. However, global geomagnetic models have experienced substantial improvement with the development of local/regional reference archaeomagnetic curves during the last few years. Hence, the need arises for a critical reassessment of reported age intervals and corresponding chronological contexts. Updated archaeomagnetic ages are recalculated considering the geomagnetic models SHA.DIF.14K and SHAWQ.2K as well as the two regional paleosecular variation curves for Mesoamerica. A bootstrap resampling method is used to obtain an optimal age range for each studied structure. These new absolute chronologies indicate that the last fire exposure of the vast majority of the analyzed artifacts unequivocally corresponds to the Mesoamerican early Postclassic related to the depopulation stage apparently caused by environmental changes.

Showcasing the multifaceted aspects of agricultural transformation: The example of mountain oases in Oman.

In the Anthropocene the consequences of land-use transformation on ecosystem services are of growing concern, particularly in fragile areas of mountain agriculture that often represent high nature-value farmland. This study uses a decadal repeated survey approach to analyse the effects of modernisation on oasis systems in the Jabal Al Akhdar region of northern Oman. This rugged mountain region at the north-eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula experiences a growing influx of regional and international tourists since the opening of a modern highway 15 years ago. In 2007, at the onset of transformation processes, a survey was conducted with all households (HH) located in three major settlements along the 1000-m-altitude gradient of the Wadi Muaydin watershed. The survey was repeated in 2018, including all remaining HH of the three settlements. This longitudinal approach allowed studying the consequences of social-ecological transformation processes on crop and livestock husbandry, agricultural labour use, product marketing, and perception of the region's future by its local residents. Though the village inhabitants are aging and declining in numbers, they still adhere to agriculture, largely because of tradition and identity. Fallowing and abandoning farmland increased over the investigated time span but was paralleled by increased application of agrochemicals and animal manure on fields, purchase of roughage and concentrate feeds for small ruminants, concentration on cash crop and meat production for sale, and increased employment of migrant workers. These indicators of modernisation of oasis agriculture are accompanied by predominantly pessimistic views on future prospects of oasis farming. Commonly perceived problems are shortage of irrigation water and profound societal change. Against these challenges, value chain generation and direct marketing opportunities for local agricultural produce are seen as prerequisites to keep the high nature-value farmland of these mountain oases alive.

Can residents regain their community relations after resettlement? Insights from Shanghai

This article investigates whether residents have been able to regain their sense of belonging and neighbourliness after being resettled in urban China and what factors have prevented or enabled them to do so. There is a growing body of work examining the post-resettlement community relations of residents. However, this process of community rebuilding is mostly understood as resident-led and little is known about the role and influence of state actions such as state-led community building and changing resettlement policies. Our study addresses this gap by drawing on the case of Hesha Hangcheng which is one of Shanghai’s major relocation settlements. Our findings, from analysing a household survey and interviews, show that the sense of belonging and neighbourly relations of residents are poorer compared to before they were resettled. The analysis further reveals that residents who are more satisfied with their new housing and neighbourhood tend to have better neighbourly relations and sense of belonging compared to those who are not satisfied and feel they have lost out from the resettlement. Additionally, the state’s efforts in rebuilding communities by providing more community organisations and activities have given residents a platform to encounter each other and help facilitate neighbourliness and a sense of belonging. Theoretically, our study contributes by revealing the interplay between residents and state-led community rebuilding efforts and how they have affected post-resettlement community relations.

Hydro and Geochemical Characteristics of Ground Water Assessment in Puducherry Coastal Stretch, Puducherry Region

Abstract: In the recent years, settlement along the coastal stretch of Puducherry region are quiet in an alarming state which has degraded the entire coastal and the marine environment due to enormous anthropogenic activities carried out by the settlements for their livelihood beneficiaries .One of the major problem identified along the coastal areas of the Puducherry region at macro level are seawater intrusion at major settlement zones were erroneous pumping of ground water were done to meet out the demands of the settlements, which in turn has led to serious contamination by dissolved salts mixing into the available fresh water resources such as coastal aquifers which further demands sophisticated treatment processes. The aim of the present study is to analyze the collected water samples with respect to the seasonal variations from various identified aquifers of different geological formation and for its geo-hydro-chemistry and physico-chemical parameters by acceptable procedures. From the results obtained, it was found that, dominant major and minor ions were present in the majority of aquifers in and around the Puducherry region. The presences of ions in the aquifers of Pondicherry coastal region are been represented in an ascending order such as: Na>Ca>Mg>K and HCO3>CL>SO4. Moreover, the characteristic Fluoride (F), Nitrate .

Microstratigraphy reveals cycles of occupation and abandonment at the mid Holocene coastal site of Thach Lac, northern-central Vietnam

Shell mounds are an important component of the archaeology of coastal regions in northern Vietnam. Understanding cultural dynamics and settlement patterns within seemingly homogenous layers of shell accumulation is difficult based on field survey and excavation records alone. Here, we use microstratigraphic and microfacies analysis to decipher the complex stratigraphy and thereby reconstruct the occupation history of Thach Lac, a mid Holocene (c. 5000–4100 cal BP) coastal shell-bearing site in Ha Tinh Province, northern-central Vietnam. Our microstratigraphic approach utilises micromorphology, the microscopic study of undisturbed stratigraphic blocks, aided by compositional analyses including Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, particle size analysis and phytolith concentrations. Our results establish that Thach Lac was occupied by three distinct cultures, known as the Quynh Van, Thach Lac and Bau Tro, across a millennium of significant sea level fluctuations in the mid Holocene. During the Quynh Van (5000–4850 cal BP) and Thach Lac (4850–4600 cal BP) occupations, repeated transient shell foraging activities took place across the period of maximum Holocene transgression. As sea levels stabilised to present levels, the site was removed from coastal sedimentary processes and a major subsistence and settlement shift was detected in the later Thach Lac and ensuing Bau Tro (4450–4100 cal BP) phases, based on the change from shell to animal bone deposition and evidence for extended, semi-sedentary occupation. A microstratigraphic approach to shell mound formation at Thach Lac enables high-resolution integration of cultural and environmental sedimentary records, thus affording exceptional insights into prehistoric settlement adaptations and resilience to dynamic coastal environments.

Changing Land Use and Political Economy at Neolithic and Bronze Age Knossos, Crete: Stable Carbon (δ13C) and Nitrogen (δ15N) Isotope Analysis of Charred Crop Grains and Faunal Bone Collagen

Excavations at Knossos have uncovered faunal and archaeobotanical archives spanning the Neolithic and Bronze Age (7th–2nd millennia bce), during which one of Europe’s earliest known farming settlements developed into its first major urban settlement and centre of one of its oldest regional states. Through stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) analysis of seeds and bones (as evidence for the growing conditions of cereal and pulse crops and for the types of forage consumed by livestock), land use and, ultimately, political economy are explored. Changing husbandry conditions overwrite any effects of long-term aridification. Early (7th–6th millennium bce) Knossian farmers grew intensively managed cereals and pulses (probably in rotation) that were closely integrated (as manured sources of forage) with livestock. Through the later Neolithic and Bronze Age, settlement growth accompanied more extensive cultivation (eventually with cereals and pulses not in rotation) and greater use of rough graze and, by goats, browse. Pasture on cultivated land remained central, however, to the maintenance of sheep, cattle, and pigs. Variable diet of early sheep suggests management at the household level, while thereafter progressive dietary divergence of sheep and goats implies their separate herding. Until the Old Palace phase (early 2nd millennium bce), urban growth was matched by increasingly extensive and probably distant cultivation and herding but somewhat more intensive conditions during the New and Final Palace phases (mid-2nd millennium bce) perhaps reflect greater reliance on surplus from prime land of previously rival centres that now came under Knossian control.

Transportation-geographical analysis of the public transportation system: a case study of the Sesvete District and the municipalities of Gornja Stubica and Marija Bistrica

Public transportation is a fundamental societal service that directly affects spatial development. In order to ensure a high level of functionality and sustainability of the public transport system, as well as even spatial development, a good planning framework for its development is a necessity. This paper analyses the distribution and functional characteristics of the public transportation system in the northeastern part of the Zagreb Urban Agglomeration: the Sesvete district and the neighbouring municipalities of Gornja Stubica and Marija Bistrica in Krapina-Zagorje County. The goal of this paper has two parts: to analyse the public bus and train transportation systems in the study area, using relevant traffic, demographic, and functional data; and to create a typology of public transport quality of the settlements of the research area. Based on the results of the analysis, potential measures to aid the development of public transport in the study area, as well as their potential impact for the entire area of Zagreb, have been detailed in the discussion section. The results of the analysis indicate that public transport is more available and of better quality in the southern part of the study area and in Sesvete and the smaller settlements surrounding it, but it is less frequent and less available throughout the majority of settlements in Gornja Stubica and Marija Bistrica.

Rotating Savings and Credit Associations, An Alternative Source of SME Financing: The Case of the Inhabitants of the Western Region of Cameroon

The relevance of SMEs to the economy is a globally accepted truth. These small actors generally constitute the largest category of businesses and contribute significantly to vital economic indicators. Despite their relevance, this category of businesses experiences considerable challenges obtaining financing: especially formal financing. This limited access to capital has been reported to constitute a major cause of high SME failure rates. This is mainly because these businesses lack the collateral necessary to access formal financing. Despite the above literature, it is reported that inhabitants of the Western Region of Cameroon, also referred to as the Bamelikes make extensive use of Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCA) for business financing and that this is partly responsible for their increased success in entrepreneurial activities. However, empirical studies establishing the impact of the usage of ROSCAs on SME access to capital in this region are almost inexistent. Given the above, it is the aim of this study to investigate and empirically establish whether the usage of ROSCAs significantly impacts SME access to capital in the Western Region of Cameroon. Using stratified random sampling, 500 participants from the major settlements of the Western Region of Cameroon were selected for this study. The questionnaire for the study was administered to these participants. 414 questionnaires were returned and after consistency verification, data from 401 respondents were retained for this study. The data was analyzed using the One-Way ANOVA analytical tool in the IBM SPSS software (version 21). The finding disclosed that ROSCAs usage has a statistically significant impact on SME’s access to capital in the Western Region of Cameroon. It is therefore recommended that SME owners/managers join such associations or come together to create such associations to improve their access to capital. In addition to that, since these organizations are widely spread across Africa and developing economies, they could be repurposed for business financing reasons instead of consumption.

»As inhabitants of a suburban area, we often feel neglected«

After 1965, Ig, like many other major suburban settlements in the Ljubljana Basin, gradually began to lose its rural character. That was the time of rapid deagrarianization and gradually increasing living standard, which introduced changes in the daily reality and lifestyle of Ig’s inhabitants, including their aim to urbanize the settlement and provide it with modern infrastructure and public services that would meet their needs better and improve the quality of their lives. The author presents the development of Ig between 1961 and 1989, which was very sluggish due to insufficient funding. The growing budget deficit facing the Municipality Ljubljana Vič–Rudnik had an especially devastating impact on rural areas as the most disadvantaged in developing and maintaining the existing infrastructure.

Illicit drug consumption estimated using wastewater analysis and compared by settlement size in New Zealand

Estimation of consumption of illicit drugs by wastewater-based epidemiology provides estimates of community drug-use patterns. This study describes monitoring data of three illicit drugs in New Zealand using wastewater-based epidemiology.Wastewater samples were collected at monthly intervals for larger (population ~ 50,000+) cities or in smaller towns where more data was required by authorities. In other smaller towns, samples were collected every 2 months. Samples were extracted and analysed for parent compounds and metabolites of methamphetamine, MDMA, cocaine, heroin and fentanyl consumption using solid-phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) detection. Back calculations were performed to estimate the consumption of each drug in each catchment area.Methamphetamine was the drug measured with the highest estimated mean consumption rates (724 mg/1000 people per day) in New Zealand. North Island small urban settlements had the highest estimated mean methamphetamine consumption rates (1259 mg/1000 people/day).Cocaine had the lowest estimated consumption rates (9.4 mg/1000 people/day). The highest estimated mean cocaine consumption rate was in North Island major urban settlements (24.4 mg/1000 people/day).Major urban settlements had the highest estimated mean MDMA (420 mg/1000 people/day) and cocaine consumption rates (18.8 mg/1000 people/day). South Island medium urban settlements had unexpectedly high estimated mean consumption rates of MDMA (533 mg/1000 people/day) and cocaine (17.0 mg/1000 people/day). The higher-than-expected estimated cocaine consumption was from one medium urban settlement that is also a popular tourist destination in the South Island.Heroin biomarkers were not detected at any locations, and fentanyl was detected around or below the limit of reporting.This research provides information for appropriate responses for improved social and health investment to support social services associated with illicit drug consumption.

Substantiating the Use of Wind Power Plants for Power Supply to the Nosok Settlement in the Krasnoyarsk Krai

The majority of settlements in the northern regions of the Krasnoyarsk Krai in the Russian Federation use diesel power plants (DPPs) consisting of several diesel gensets (DGS) as a power supply source. At present, increasingly growing attention is paid in Russia to replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy sources (RES). In this connection, there is a need to assess the technical capabilities and economic feasibility of fully or partially replacing DPPs with wind power plants consisting of one or more wind turbines. The article presents the results from evaluating the technical and economic efficiency of using wind turbines for reducing the power output of the DPP installed in the Nosok settlement located in the Taimyr Dolgan-Nenets municipal district of the Krasnoyarsk Krai of Russia, which is administratively part of the Karaul rural settlement. The Nosok settlement power supply system uses a 0.7 MW diesel power plant as the power supply source. The annual consumption of electricity in 2020 amounted to 2978.64 MWh, for which 982.9 t of diesel fuel was consumed, which in monetary terms amounted to 73.72 million rubles. Significant material costs are stemming from the use of expensive imported diesel fuel; this results in that the cost of electricity provided by the Taimyrenergoresurs LLC power supply company is 45.6 rubles for 1 kWh. The article considers the option of developing a combined wind and diesel power plant and substantiates the efficiency of using the Enercon E-40/6/44 wind turbine for reducing the diesel fuel consumption for the power supply system operation. The annual amount of electricity generated by the Enercon E-40/6/44 wind turbine in the Nosok settlement of the Krasnoyarsk Krai will make 2142.55 MWh, which is 71.9% of the energy consumption in the Nosok settlement equal to 2978.64 MWh. This will make it possible to reduce the diesel fuel consumption by 707.04 t, and save 53.02 million rubles annually. The use of the above-mentioned wind turbine for supplying power to the Nosok settlement will become an efficient technical measure, because the wind turbine capacity utilization factor is 0.408, which points to a good effect from using this wind turbine. Owing to the money earned from saving diesel fuel, the Enercon E-40/6/44 wind turbine payback period will not be more than 1.55 years, which should be quite attractive to investors. After expiration of the payback period, it will be possible to obtain electricity from the Enercon E-40/6/44 wind turbine at a cost of 4.03 rubles for 1 kWh.