SFPP. Regions: Leningrad Oblast |
| Sustainable Forestry Pilot Project (SFPP) |
Leningrad oblast is situated in the North-West of the European part of Russia over an area of 85,9 th.km2 (0,5% of the total area of this country). Distance from the oblast center, Saint-Petersburg, to Moscow is 651 km. Total number of population amounts to 1,7 mln., average density - 75,4 persons per km2 - is one of the highest among the subjects of Russian Federation.
Distribution of population over the oblast area is rather uneven: most densely populated are central and western regions, the least densely - northern and north-eastern.
66% of population are urban dwellers and 34% live in rural communities. The number of towns in Leningrad oblast is 29.
National composition of population is highly homogenous: Russians constitute 90,9%; the rest are Ukraines (3%), Belorussians (2%), Finns (0,7%), Tatars (0,5%), Veps (0,3%), etc.
The number of employable population engaged in forest complex totals 33,2 thousand persons or 5,4% of the oblast workforce.
Leningrad oblast is notable for highly intensive industry which accounts for the bulk of total revenue gained by all sectors of regional economy. The main branches of industry are fuel, electric energy, mechanical engineering, wood processing and pulp and paper.
Relative share of forest complex in the total industrial output of Leningrad oblast equals 15% that is much higher than in Russia on average and particularly in other Pilot regions. The principal goods that determine specialisation of Leningrad oblast in Russian forest complex are round timber, lumber, pulp, paper, cardboard, wood-fibrous slabs and furniture.
The last decade was marked with sizable decrease of output in forest complex. Volume of logged timber dropped more than 4 times, production of lumber - 5 times, veneer - 2 times, paper and cardboard - 2,5 times. Nevertheless, starting from 1997 this negative tendency came to a halt; in 1997-1998 output in the complex increased by 10% thus making it the most dynamically developing among all the other sectors of regional economy.