1. Introduction
2. Background
3. Research methodology
4. Analysis results: levels of environmental problems
5. Analysis results: integration influence on environment
7. Conclusions
8. References
Introduction
The environment was assessed as a “motherhood” issue in Northeast Asia for two previous decades since 1995 year [1, 101]. The explanation is in a neutral - at least not normative character of this issue in a region with a legacy of problems. The environmental issues have changed their status from “specific, separate, small problems” to “general, interactive, global transformations” [2, 11]. Worldwide and regional discussions about environmental issues promote dialogue in many other directions of cooperation in boundary space.
New realities caused by economic development and intensification of Russian-Chinese cooperation are changing the situation. For the first time the word “crisis” was used for its characteristic in Russian language environmental literature. The “Argun crises - 2009” is kept in mind - the carryover of Argun River water affected Russian interests [3, 36]. Another symbol of new realities is declared “Russia’s Turn to the East” [4]. Inevitable consequence of this “Turn” is induced inclination to take ecologic risks.
How the environment issue can be assessed nowadays? Is it still a “motherhood” issue or period of maternity has passed and environment issue needs additional care and protection itself? May be all directions of regional cooperation should be concentrated on transboundary environmental problems in Northeast Asia? The contrary suggestion is to entrust these problem to environmental Kuznets curve with idea of hypothesized relationship between various indicators of environmental degradation and income per capita. It implies that at high-income levels economic growth leads to environmental improvement [5].
The current transboundary environmental problems in the region generate following related questions. What are the present day’s problems and how to update approaches to them? What are the impediments for solving them? Are there any changes in neighboring countries attitude to transboundary environmental problems in Northeast Asia? Earlier efforts to find answers for these questions did not take into account growing Russian-Chinese factor [6]. Therefore one more question concerns possibility for Russia to turn into “ecological hostage” [7] of Chinese economic development and growing demand for natural resources. The attempts to find answers for these questions imply elaboration of new elements in basis of research algorithm - classification, approaches, impediments, and countries participation.