Socio-Economic Problems of Depressed Settlements of Kazakhstan: an Empirical Analysis

In the conditions of sustainable development, special attention is paid to the balanced development of the territory. In regional studies, the study of the state of depressed settlements has scientific and practical relevance. In this regard, the conceptual analysis of the concept «depressed region» and «vulnerability of settlements» allows us to define important parameters for the study. The aim of the article is an empirical analysis of the socio-economic problems of vulnerable settlements. Based on the literature study, the conceptual bases of depressiveness and social vulnerability of settlements are highlighted, and the main parameters of its assessment are singled out. The method of data collection was a questionnaire. As a result of a sociological survey of the population, the sample consisted of 300 respondents from vulnerable areas in East Kazakhstan, Zhambyl, and North Kazakhstan regions. According to the results of the survey, several socio-economic issues among the settlements can be identified: lack of livelihood, there is no opportunity for development, poor infrastructure, lack of jobs and opportunities to earn money, poor living conditions, poor environment, problems with getting vocational education, retraining, etc. According to the survey, it is important to develop infrastructure. To address the development of depressed and vulnerable settlements, it is necessary to create transport and social infrastructure: road network, communications, Internet, development of organizational and economic mechanisms: increasing state support for local businesses, strengthening the role of local authorities, providing soft loans and subsidies to the population, providing settlements with social facilities, providing grants for the development of their businesses.