The cleanest and dirtiest countries

) from Dual Citizen, a company specializing in data and communications for sustainable development, the most green cities at the moment are:

1. Copenhagen, Denmark (rating - 99.98);
2. Stockholm, Sweden (99.72);
3. Vancouver, Canada (96.7);
4. Oslo, Norway (84.47);
5. Singapore (74.42);
6. New York, USA (74.31);
7. Berlin, Germany (72.59);
8. Helsinki, Finland (71.51);
9. Paris, France (69.53);
10. Tokyo, Japan (69.5).

Ecologically problematic cities

Unfortunately, the above environmental measures, as a rule, can be afforded by countries with a high level of economic development, which make up a smaller part of the populated area of ​​the planet. There are many more places in the world with a critical level of environmental pollution, from which millions of people die every year. It would not be superfluous in this article to give examples of such cities that are not the best place to live, but, despite this, many of them are million-plus cities.

In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) in cities for particulate matter, which is so small that it can enter the lungs and cause serious health problems. It turned out that more than 80% of all urban areas of the world have levels of air pollution above the established norms. Between 2008 and 2013, global urban air pollution levels increased by 8%. The most dangerous particles for humans are PM2.5 with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns, which are found in soot, smoke and dust. The concentration of these particles in the air starts to become a major public health concern when there is more than 35.5 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter of air, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. But the World Health Organization recommends keeping average PM2.5 levels three times lower each year.

So, a 2016 report on urban air pollution names the following cities as the most dangerous for life:

1. Zabol, Iran - PM2.5 content for 2012 217 µg/m 3 ;
2. Gwalior, India - PM2.5 content for 2012 176 µg/m 3 ;
3. Allahabad, India - PM2.5 content for 2012 170 µg/m 3 ;
4. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - PM2.5 content for 2014 156 µg/m 3 ;
5. Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia - PM2.5 content for 2014 152 µg/m 3 ;
6. Patna, India - PM2.5 content for 2013 149 µg/m 3 ;
7. Raipur, India - PM2.5 content for 2013 144 µg/m 3 ;
8. Bamenda, Cameroon - PM2.5 content for 2012 132 µg/m 3 ;
9. Xingtai, China - PM2.5 content for 2014 128 µg/m 3 ;
10. Baoding, China - PM2.5 content for 2014 is 126 µg/m 3 .

Unfortunately, the list can go on for a very long time. According to WHO estimates published in 2014, in 2012 more than 7 million people worldwide died from air pollution. Southeast Asia and Western Pacific lead regionally, with 3.3 million deaths attributable to indoor air pollution and 2.6 million deaths attributable to outdoor air pollution.

The main diseases caused by external air pollution are:

• 40% - ischemic heart disease;
• 40% - stroke;
• 11% - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);
• 6% - lung cancer;
• 3% - acute infections of the lower respiratory tract in children.

The main diseases caused by indoor air pollution are:

• 34% - stroke;
• 26% - ischemic heart disease;
• 22% - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);
• 12% - acute infections of the lower respiratory tract in children;
• 6% - lung cancer.

Summing up

I would like to wish everyone to live in decent, environmentally friendly conditions, beautiful green space around and harmony with the outside world. But do not rely on someone in the hope that the world will change for the better. Take the first step towards improving your relationship with nature, a healthy and sustainable lifestyle in a style of respect for all life on this Planet. This can help you with our practical for every day, as well as articles on the site. And may all living beings be happy! 🙂

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Every two years, the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) publishes a bulletin "Key indicators of environmental protection", which, among other things, presents data for Russian cities on air pollutant emissions from stationary sources (i.e. enterprises) and road transport. The most comprehensive bulletin to date was published on July 1, 2013 and presents data for 2012. Data for 2014 was published in 2015, but the focus of the study was on regions as a whole rather than individual cities. The 2015 study provides data for 37 cities, a much smaller number than the 2013 study, which provides data for 181 cities, while the 2015 study does not include vehicle emissions data. Therefore, in this rating of the most environmentally friendly cities in Russia in terms of total emissions, data from the bulletin of 2013, and not 2015, are used. From the list of 2015, the rating uses data only for Sevastopol.

It should be noted that Rosstat does not publish data for all cities of Russia, but only for developed industrial centers, therefore, environmentally friendly small towns, where there is practically no industry, are not included in the Rosstat list.

As a rule, the larger the city, the more emissions it has. Therefore, the rating is divided into three categories according to the traditional Russian classification of cities by population: medium-sized cities (from 50 to 100 thousand people), large cities (from 100 to 250 thousand people), large cities (from 250 to 1 million people). .). In total, the rating includes 12 of the most environmentally friendly medium-sized Russian cities in terms of total emissions, 20 large and 12 large.

The most environmentally friendly medium-sized cities in Russia  (with a population of 50 to 100 thousand people)

11th place - Revda (Sverdlovsk region). Population - 62 thousand people. Emissions - 10.8 thousand tons, stationary sources - 64%.

10th place - Velikiye Luki (Pskov region). Population - 96.5 thousand people. Emissions - 8.6 thousand tons, stationary sources - 29.3%.

9th place - Belorechensk (Krasnodar Territory). Population - 52.6 thousand people. Emissions - 8.6 thousand tons, stationary sources - 22.2%.

8th place - Beloretsk (Bashkortostan). Population - 66.9 thousand people. Emissions - 8.4 thousand tons, stationary sources - 33.4%. Those who are thinking about moving to Beloretsk because of its environmental friendliness should take into account that the construction of the Belstal metallurgical complex has begun in the city, so in a few years Beloretsk will turn from an environmentally friendly city into a mini-analogue of neighboring Magnitogorsk, which is one of the most polluted cities of Russia.

7th place - Glazov (Udmurtia). Population - 94.9 thousand people. Emissions - 7.8 thousand tons, stationary sources - 54%.

6th place - Gorno-Altaisk (Republic of Altai). Population - 61.4 thousand people. Emissions - 7.2 thousand tons, stationary sources - 26.5%. Capital of the Republic of Altai Gorno-Altaisk is the most environmentally friendly administrative center of the subject of the Russian Federation.

5th place - Krasnokamsk (Perm Territory). Population - 53.7 thousand people. Emissions - 5.6 thousand tons, stationary sources - 31.7%.

4th place - Balakhna (Nizhny Novgorod region). Population - 50.1 thousand people. Emissions - 5.4 thousand tons, stationary sources - 22.9%.

3rd place - Mineralnye Vody (Stavropol Territory). Population - 76.2 thousand people. Emissions - 5.3 thousand tons, stationary sources - 24%.

2nd place - Chapaevsk (Samara region). Population - 72.4 thousand people. Emissions - 4.8 thousand tons, stationary sources - 26.8%.

1st place - Sarapul (Udmurtia). Once Vladimir Putin was asked a question during a direct line: "Why is everything so bad in Sarapul?" Looking at the amount of emissions showing that Sarapul is the most environmentally friendly medium-sized city in Russia, then we can conclude that in Sarapul everything is not so bad. With a population of 99.8 thousand people. the volume of emissions is 4.7 thousand tons, of which stationary sources account for 17.5%.

Sarapul. Photo from the city's official website

The most environmentally friendly big cities in Russia (with a population of 100 to 250 thousand people)

20th place - Zlatoust (Chelyabinsk region). Population - 170.9 thousand people. Emissions - 11.9 thousand tons, stationary sources - 30.3%.

19th place - Nefteyugansk (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug). Population - 125.8 thousand people. Emissions - 11.9 thousand tons, stationary sources - 5%.

18th place - Kyzyl (Tyva). Population - 114 thousand people. Emissions - 11.6 thousand tons, stationary sources - 43.2%.

17th place - Yelets (Lipetsk region). Population - 106.3 thousand people. Emissions - 9.7 thousand tons, stationary sources - 40.5%.

16th place - Pyatigorsk (Stavropol Territory). Population - 145.9 thousand people. Emissions - 9.4 thousand tons, stationary sources - 12.1%.

15th place - Berdsk (Novosibirsk region). Population - 101.7 thousand people. Emissions - 9 thousand tons, stationary sources - 41%.

14th place - Elista (Kalmykia). Population - 104 thousand people. Emissions - 8.7 thousand tons, stationary sources - 7.8%.

13th place - Bataysk (Rostov region). Population - 117.4 thousand people. Emissions - 8.5 thousand tons, stationary sources - 11.6%.

12th place - Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk region). Population - 124 thousand people. Emissions - 8.3 thousand tons, stationary sources - 20.9%.

11th place - Novocheboksarsk (Chuvashia). Population - 124 thousand people. Emissions - 8.1 thousand tons, stationary sources - 39.8%.

10th place - Khasavyurt (Dagestan). Population - 135.3 thousand people. Emissions - 7.5 thousand tons, stationary sources - 2.3%.

9th place - Obninsk (Kaluga region). Population - 107.3 thousand people. Emissions - 7.4 thousand tons, stationary sources - 8%.

8th place - Arzamas (Nizhny Novgorod region). Population - 105 thousand people. Emissions - 7.1 thousand tons, stationary sources - 20.8%.

7th place - Oktyabrsky (Bashkortostan). Population - 112.2 thousand people. Emissions - 6.3 thousand tons, stationary sources - 16.1%.

6th place - Kislovodsk (Stavropol Territory). Population - 130 thousand people. Emissions - 6.2 thousand tons, stationary sources - 7.9%.

5th place - Essentuki (Stavropol Territory). Population - 103 thousand people. Emissions - 5.3 thousand tons, stationary sources - 9.1%.

4th place - Novoshakhtinsk (Rostov region). Population - 109.5 thousand people. Emissions - 4.5 thousand tons, stationary sources - 23.7%.

3rd place - Nazran (Ingushetia). Population - 105.8 thousand people. Emissions - 4.3 thousand tons, stationary sources - 2.2%.

2nd place - Kaspiysk (Dagestan). Population - 105.1 thousand people. Emissions - 3.9 thousand tons, stationary sources - 2.1%.

1st place - Derbent (Dagestan). Derbent is not only the most ancient city in Russia (Derbent was founded in 438 AD), but also the most environmentally friendly of the medium (less emissions than in Sarapul) and large Russian cities. With a population of 120.5 thousand people, the volume of emissions per year is 3.3 thousand tons, of which stationary sources account for 13.8%.

Derbent. Photo from the city's official website

Separately, it is worth noting Pskov, whose population is 206.7 thousand people. This city did not make it into the top 20 environmentally friendly cities with a population of 100 to 250 thousand people, but at the same time Pskov is the most environmentally friendly regional center of Russia. Its emission rate per year is 19.1 thousand tons, stationary sources account for 35.5%.

The most environmentally friendly large cities in Russia  (with a population of 250 thousand to 1 million people)

12th place - Stavropol (Stavropol Territory). Population - 419.8 thousand people. Emissions - 26.6 thousand tons, stationary sources - 16.2%.

11th place - Vologda (Vologda region). Population - 308.2 thousand people. Emissions - 26.6 thousand tons, stationary sources - 14.6%.

10th place - Yoshkar-Ola (Mari El). Population - 260.3 thousand people. Emissions - 26.2 thousand tons, stationary sources - 45.4%.

9th place - Tambov (Tambov region). Population - 285 thousand people. Emissions - 25.5 thousand tons, stationary sources - 33.3%.

8th place - Saransk (Mordovia). Population - 299.2 thousand people. Emissions - 24.1 thousand tons, stationary sources - 29.4%.

7th place - Petrozavodsk (Karelia). Population - 272.1 thousand people. Emissions - 23.4 thousand tons, stationary sources - 13.5%.

6th place - Vladikavkaz (North Ossetia - Alania). Population - 308.3 thousand people. Emissions - 22.8 thousand tons, stationary sources - 12.6%.

5th place - Kostroma (Kostroma region). Population - 273.4 thousand people. Emissions - 22.6 thousand tons, stationary sources - 31.8%.

4th place - Grozny (Chechnya). Population - 280.2 thousand people. Emissions - 21.9 thousand tons, stationary sources - 49.7%.

3rd place - Sochi (Krasnodar Territory). Population - 400 thousand people. Emissions - 21.2 thousand tons, stationary sources - 16.9%.

2nd place - Taganrog (Rostov region). Population - 253.5 thousand people. Emissions - 18 thousand tons, stationary sources - 38.8%.

Where is the easiest place to breathe in the capital? The answer to this question is given by the ecological rating of Moscow districts. The experts analyzed 9 "old" districts of the metropolis, excluding Zelenograd and New Moscow, and compiled a list of the best and worst areas. The study took into account the number of green areas, industrial facilities, major highways and the wind rose.

The greenest districts of Moscow are the leaders of the eco-rating

"Green" standards, which determine the environmental situation in a residential area, are presented in the set of rules "Engineering and environmental surveys for construction", which are included in the system of construction SNiPs. When analyzing the state of the environment, a complex of factors is taken into account. The key role is played by the proximity of roads and the state of traffic - it is automobile exhaust gases that account for more than 90% of the total anthropogenic emissions into the atmosphere of the metropolis. Only a natural barrier in the form of a large park or forest belt can level the harmful neighborhood of the highway.

Traditionally, the prestigious north-west of Moscow is considered to be the cleanest and greenest, but according to the results of a study in 2015, the top three were headed by the south-west. Here is what the “ecological pedestal” of the most prosperous districts of the capital looks like in 2015:

• 1st place - Northern Butovo and Southern Butovo (Southwestern District)

The top line of the rating was headed by two young districts outside the Moscow Ring Road. Two neighboring territories are surrounded by the Butovsky forest park and several other forests, and the only thing that poisons the local atmosphere is the Warsaw highway.

• 2nd place - Yasenevo (Southwestern District)

The area is distinguished by a favorable wind rose, the absence of large industrial enterprises and highways (not counting the section of the Moscow Ring Road), and is literally buried in greenery. On the one hand, it is surrounded by Bitsevsky forest, on the other - Butovsky and Yasenevsky forest parks.

• 3rd place - Mitino (North-Western District)

Mitino is located on the northwestern outskirts of Moscow, immediately after the ring road and is surrounded on all sides by forests. Harmful emissions from the Moscow Ring Road and the Pyatnitskoye highway, which passes through the district, are compensated by the greenery of the Novogorsky forest park.

Strogino (SZAO), which benefits from its proximity to Serebryany Bor and the Troitse-Lykovskaya floodplain, as well as Kurkino (SZAO) also entered the top five cleanest districts of the capital. The local ecological situation remains at an acceptable level thanks to the Aleshkinsky forest and the Skhodnya river valley. In terms of comfort level, this territory is comparable to the Moscow suburbs, it is no coincidence that, in addition to standard high-rise buildings, cottages are common there, and they are popular with buyers. A similar situation is also developing in Krylatskoye (ZAO) and Northern Tushino (SZAO), which occupy the 6th and 7th lines of the eco-rating.

The 8th and 9th places are occupied by Teply Stan (SWAO) and Marfino (SVAO). In general, these are quite green, clean and pleasant areas for living, however, the ecology of Teply Stan is spoiled by several busy routes at once (Profsoyuznaya Street, Leninsky Prospekt and the Moscow Ring Road), and the low place in the Marfino rating is due to the proximity to the railway. The Ivanovskoye district in the east of the city closes the list of ecologically clean corners of the capital. In general, the EAO is considered by ecologists to be not the most prosperous territory, however, there are no industrial zones in Ivanovsky and there are two large green spaces at once - the Izmailovsky forest park and the Terletskaya oak forest.

Nothing to breathe - areas of Moscow with the worst ecology

Ecologically unfavorable areas are determined by experts according to the degree of air pollution. Harmful emissions enter the metropolitan atmosphere not only from car exhaust pipes, but also as a result of the operation of thermal power complex facilities, waste processing plants and other industrial enterprises. Ecologists begin to be alarmed when the content of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and phenol or hydrogen sulfide in the air of the capital begins to significantly exceed the norm. In some areas, the concentration of harmful substances may be several times higher than prescribed.

Most claims from specialists are caused by the south-east of the capital. It is there along the Moskva River that most of the industrial enterprises of the city are concentrated. The air of Muscovites and the mood of environmentalists are steadily poisoned by the Kapotnensky oil refinery and the Lublin steel plant. Other polluting enterprises, which are dispersed in abundance throughout the district, also contribute to the common "dirty business".

According to the latest data, Kapotnya (South-East Administrative Okrug) has once again been recognized as the most ecologically unfavorable district of Moscow. The concentration of harmful substances there is so high that the consequences are visible to the naked eye. At times, under certain weather conditions, smog hangs in the air, and residents of neighboring houses feel an unpleasant smell in their apartments. It is not surprising that the townspeople gave the area the nickname Maly Norilsk. A similar situation is observed in neighboring Pechatniki, where there are practically no green areas for two hundred industrial enterprises, as well as in Biryulyovo Zapadnoye (South Administrative District), where, in addition to the usual industrial zones, the waste incineration plant spoils the environment. Also, specialists have claims to Maryino, Lyublino, Nekrasovka, Tsaritsyno, Ochakovo-Matveevsky, Dmitrovsky and Nizhny Novgorod regions.

The prestigious metropolitan center also receives consistently low ratings from environmentalists. Of course, the air inside the Garden Ring is not polluted by industrial facilities, but this is successfully handled by the abundant flow of vehicles that cross the city every day, and most importantly, stand in traffic jams for many hours. According to experts, due to heavy traffic, the sanitary standards for nitrogen dioxide in the center of Moscow are exceeded by an average of 2-3 times.

Ecology and prices - real estate in prosperous and disadvantaged areas

The ecological situation in the area is one of the key factors when choosing real estate. According to experts, first of all they evaluate transport accessibility and the presence of minimal infrastructure, and then they begin to be interested in clean air and an abundance of parks and squares. This state of affairs directly affects the development of the real estate market. Square meters in areas with favorable ecology rise in price on average twice as fast compared to the city average.

For example, as of February 2015, apartments in Northern Butovo began to cost an average of 18% more. The situation is similar in South Butovo, Marfino, Teply Stan, Mitino, North Tushino - housing in all these prosperous areas has risen in price by 12.5% ​​- 15.2% over the year. At the same time, the average growth was only 6.4%.

Finally, the region's eco-rating is not the last argument for developers. It is no coincidence that the volume of supply of apartments in new buildings in the prosperous South-West and North-West districts is almost three times higher than the indicators of the primary market of the SEAD. At the same time, the average cost per square meter in a new building in the south-west of Moscow, according to RealSearch.Ru analysts, fluctuates around 300 thousand rubles, and in the south-east - around 180 thousand rubles. A square foot of primary property in remote but verdant Northern Butovo ranges from RUB94,540 to RUB168,896, while no new construction has taken place in eco-disadvantaged Kapotnya since the 1990s.

In recent years, in our country, as well as throughout the world, more and more attention is paid to ecology and the rational use of natural resources. Residents are concerned about the degree of air pollution, water quality, the availability of modern infrastructure, the potential for the development and use of advanced environmental technologies and other environmental initiatives of their hometown. The need for this information also exists at a higher level of government in order to assess the development of Russia as a modern power with favorable living conditions for citizens, and to check for compliance with international standards.

Every year, the Ministry of Nature of the Russian Federation publishes a rating of the ecological development of Russian cities. The methodology for its compilation was developed by Ernst & Young and brought into line with global analogues and the criteria of the Organization for Environmental Cooperation and Development (OECD).

• The state of the air environment.
• Level of water consumption and water quality.
• Energy Efficiency.
• The level of development and accessibility of transport.
• Waste management.
• Territory use efficiency.
• Environmental impact management.

Ufa

Ufa has become the city with the highest level of ecological development in the country. The following indicators allowed the city to take the leading position in the rating: 2nd place in terms of efficiency of use of territories, 7th place in the category of water consumption and 9th place in environmental impact management.

However, all this does not prevent the capital of Bashkortostan from occupying a leading position in terms of air and water pollution in Russia. There are three large oil refineries in the city, one of which is the plant of the Bashneft company. Waste water from industrial enterprises, as well as snow transported from Ufa roads to landfills, enters the Belaya River, from which drinking water is taken. The phenolic catastrophe of 1990 in Ufa is not forgotten either.

However, in recent years, the city has been actively implementing measures to improve the environmental situation. One of the most effective measures has been introduction of automatic air emission control stations, fixing not only the fact of air pollution, but also its sources, which allows you to quickly identify the perpetrators. A new system of treatment facilities has been planned and is already being partially implemented, which provides for the biological treatment of wastewater and disinfection of water with ultraviolet light.

Saransk

The silver-winning city ranked 1st for environmental impact management, 2nd for water quality, and 9th for transportation accessibility.

The authorities of the capital of Mordovia only recently actively took up the improvement of the ecological situation in the city. For a long time, Saransk was on the first lines of the ratings with the highest rates of air, water and soil pollution. Numerous industrial enterprises of the city for many years produced emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere and wastewater into the rivers Insar, Tavla and Saranka.

Despite the fact that the quality of water coming from artesian wells is one of the highest, it deteriorates significantly on the way to the final consumer due to the severe deterioration of water supply networks. Currently, the city government is implementing a program to reduce emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere and improve the technical condition of water supply networks, which is already yielding first results.

The same age as Moscow received a bronze rating, being 2nd place in air quality, 4 for transport accessibility, 6 for water consumption, 8 for waste management, and 10 for energy consumption and environmental impact management.

Among the main sources of air pollution in the city are the growing number of vehicles, Vologdagorteploset, as well as enterprises in the construction and engineering industries. The presence of pollutants in surface waters is also due to the activities of industrial enterprises. However, emissions, air and water pollution in Vologda show an annual downward trend, and the city has a good reputation.

Moscow

The capital took the 4th place in the rating, leading in the energy consumption category, taking 3rd place in air purity and 5th place in water quality and in the category of land use.

Of course, Moscow's position in the ranking is highly controversial - in such a multimillion-dollar agglomeration with a high concentration of industrial enterprises and road transport, one can hardly speak of clean air. In addition, the main problems of the capital are the growth in the amount of waste and landfills, the development of green areas, the proximity of waste incineration plants, population growth and the number of cars.

The city took the 5th place in the environmental rating, taking the leading position in terms of air purity among 87 cities in the country.
The main source of air pollution in Voronezh is motor transport. Illegal landfills remain a big problem for the city, and the issue of waste management is very acute. In addition, such large industrial enterprises as JSC "Voronezhshina" and JSC "Voronezhsintezkauchuk" gradually pollute the Voronezh reservoir, discharging large volumes of untreated wastewater into the reservoir. Preventing the reservoir from turning into a "poisonous lake" is the city's top priority.

The city ranked 5th in terms of environmental impact and 6th in terms of waste management efficiency.
The main problems of the Kuban capital, like most cities in the country, are air and water pollution. The main sources of emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere are road transport and large industrial enterprises of the city. Among them, the leaders are the Krasnodar CHPP and the OAO MZhK Krasnodarsky, which is especially unloved by the inhabitants of the city, the results of whose activities are “felt” directly in the air. Over the years of the negative impact of industrial enterprises, the state of the main river of the city, the Kuban, has significantly worsened, and swimming in it is now prohibited.

The city ranked 7th in the rankings, ranking 4th in energy consumption and 8th in the environmental impact management category.

Rather green city of Tambov, however, is experiencing the negative impact of large industrial enterprises. The Pigment, Talvis, Tamak and others plants cause the greatest damage to the city's ecology.

The state of water is of sufficiently high quality, since the source of water consumption is mainly groundwater. Due to the crisis in the city, the problem of waste has aggravated - the local waste processing plant has temporarily suspended its activities. Nevertheless, thanks to natural air filters - green spaces, Tambov is one of the most environmentally friendly cities in Russia.

Omsk

The city was ranked 8th in the ranking, being 3rd in the list for environmental impact management.
The impact of the city's leadership seems to be partially successful. Despite the fact that the state of the air environment for a million-plus city is not too critical and varies by district, one cannot fail to note the fact that Omsk is among the top five cities in terms of the largest number of cancer patients. Numerous industrial enterprises are to blame, including an oil refinery, plastics and synthetic rubber plants, chemical and engineering enterprises.

Omsk residents receive water directly from the Om and Irtysh rivers, however, thanks to a multi-stage purification system and constant quality control, all indicators of drinking water comply with SanPin standards.

Ulan-Ude

The capital of Buryatia made it to the top ten thanks to the competent waste management - 3rd place from the list.
Nevertheless, Ulan-Ude ranks high on the list of cities with the most polluted atmosphere. The main source of pollution in the city is the Ulan-Ude industrial hub, where a large number of enterprises and factories are concentrated. A significant share of pollutant emissions comes from road transport.

The underground waters of Ulan-Ude, used for household and drinking purposes, are strongly influenced by the processes occurring on the surface, and therefore are heavily polluted with elements of technogenic origin, such as copper, lead, nickel and chromium. Thus, in all other key indicators, the city deviates significantly from the norm.

Lipetsk

Lipetsk closes the top ten, the overall assessment of which was formed due to the fact that the city took 3rd place in terms of transport accessibility and 6th place in terms of energy consumption.

However, in terms of the amount of emissions into the atmosphere, Lipetsk has been leading the ranking of the dirtiest cities in Russia for many years now. The ecological situation is exacerbated by the presence in the city of the largest metallurgical plant in Europe, OAO NLMK. Other large industrial enterprises also contribute to air pollution, as well as the increasing number of motor vehicles from year to year. Over the past 10-15 years, the overall air pollution index of Lipetsk has decreased by more than 4 times, but remains quite high.

At the same time, the quality of water in the city is considered one of the best, due to the fact that water in the apartments of citizens comes from underground sources.

It can be easily seen that in the cities recognized by the Ministry of Nature as the most favorable in terms of ecology, there are big problems with air pollution, waste disposal and the state of water bodies. Categories such as transport, energy consumption and use of territories are secondary and should not have such a significant impact on the formation of the rating.

To be fair, it should be noted that cities whose administrations cannot provide information or provide incomplete data do not fall into the rating or fall into its bottom lines. Thus, this official document cannot 100% reflect the real environmental situation in the country.

Any person strives to live in better conditions, so progress does not stand still, simplifying life through cars, household appliances and cheap energy. However, it is worth remembering that the coin also has a downside, which means that you have to pay for comfort not only with money, but also with your own health, because most megacities actively interact with industry, which causes environmental pollution. However, in the vastness of our boundless homeland, there are several places where a person manages to live in harmony with nature, thereby significantly increasing the duration of his own life. We present to your attention the Top 10 The most environmentally friendly cities in Russia in 2016, among which there are even cities with a population of over a million people.

10. Pskov

Despite 200,000 inhabitants and close proximity to federal industrial facilities, the air in this city remains clean. All this thanks to forty hectares of green spaces, which play a decisive role in shaping the city's ecosystem. Citizens can enjoy parks and forests all year round, thereby improving their own health. Due to the untouched nature of some corners of nature, locals may not leave the city in order to be alone with the flora.

9.

Smolensk was able to get to the ninth place in the ranking of the 10 most environmentally friendly cities in Russia in 2016, not only due to the abundance of vegetation, but also because of the quality of enterprises located in the city. The light industry, among which the food and jewelry industries are in the lead, are simply unable to cause much damage to the environment, and if we add four forest parks and ten gardens to this, then it’s not worth talking about something harmful to people’s life and health.

8.

This city benefits from its status - for the most part it is a port, so the entire industry is concentrated in fishing and further processing. A clear plus is that forests make up half the area of ​​the city, and on the outskirts of their concentration is much higher than the national average. For 15 years in a row, experts have noted trends towards improving the environmental situation, even the only water channel of the city, the Kola Bay, continues to remain crystal clear, which facilitates the work of public utilities and allows hardening fans to constantly improve their health, because its peak temperature is 10 degrees Celsius.

7.

In seventh place in the list of the cleanest cities in Russia in 2016, it occupies one of the most comfortable places for living in our homeland. Despite the fact that all enterprises are involved in the petrochemical industry, which causes enormous damage to nature, the authorities managed to encourage the factories to adopt the most environmentally friendly production methods, and the streets are clean and teeming with greenery. We found the reason for such an unusual situation in the financing of the city, because its budget exceeds the estimate of the "Northern Capital".

6.

If before the Winter Olympics, the resort town had little chance of getting into our rating, then after it, the city has completely changed. In order not to lose face in front of foreign guests, utilities have cleaned it up to a shine, turning an already successful resort into a model one. The complete absence of heavy or processing industries also plays into the hands of Sochi, which, combined with an abundance of green spaces and proximity to the sea, makes it one of the safest cities in Russia for life. Fortunately, the business executives continued to maintain the European level of cleanliness even after the sports competitions, which greatly increases the interest in the resort at any time of the year. Although Sochi is not included in, after the work carried out in it in preparation for the Olympics, it received a well-developed infrastructure and became very comfortable and clean.

5.

At the equator of the ranking of the top 10 most environmentally friendly Russian cities in 2016, an example of the fact that even a small town with a population of one hundred thousand people, abundantly strewn with light industry enterprises and farms, can preserve almost virgin nature. Due to the absence of factories and the mass of green spaces, the level of air pollution here is much lower than the permissible norm. The main disadvantage is the release of waste into the only water channel, but the authorities are actively working on this issue, which allows residents to use clean water in everyday life, which has passed through a lot of various filters, the condition of which is regularly monitored.

4.

Contrary to the notion of European Muslim settlements, the Dagestanis from this small town with a rich history managed to prove that they are extremely clean and honor their culture. You will have to put in enough effort to find an equally "licked" city, among those where the majority of the population is represented by Slavs. The advantage is also the proximity of the city to the sea, which makes it a profitable resort, as well as the presence of an exclusively food industry and small farms that do not have a strong negative impact on the environment.

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The top three among the most environmentally friendly cities in Russia for 2016 is opened by Taganrog - a unique example of combining heavy industry and a developed tourist environment. Despite the fact that factories cannot effectively dispose of hazardous waste, the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov comes to their aid, with its ability to naturally cleanse itself. Not the last role is also played by breezes, which make it possible to compensate for the excessive dryness of the air. Ten years ago, the city authorities set a course to clean up the city and continue to carry out environmental activities, which has a very positive effect on the state of the environment.

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The runner-up is the city that has never stopped striving to become more environmentally friendly. The first task was the modernization of enterprises, which made it possible to reduce emissions from their activities by 85%, thereby allowing residents to drink tap water without fear, because thanks to new filters, it does not differ from boiled water in terms of disinfection. The second step was the construction of bypass roads, because more than half of the nitrogen in the atmosphere was supplied by cars. The consistent implementation of these innovations has allowed the city to improve its own environmental performance by 60% over the past ten years, and this is by no means the limit.

1. Ufa

Ufa - the most environmentally friendly city in Russia in 2016. This is the only city with a million-plus population in the chart. Despite the huge economic and cultural role in the development of our country, Ufa also did not forget about nature, here there are about 200 squares of fauna per inhabitant, and forests and parks occupy 30% of the total city area. The presence of clean streets, water and air in a city with such a huge population and developed industry confirms once again that any place can become cleaner, all that is required is a clear action plan, high-quality work of public services and a fairly high level of culture of citizens who are used to taking care of the place, where they live.