Sustainable Regional Development: A Challenge Between Socio-Economic Development and Sustainable Environmental Management

Alikhan Medeu, Maulken Askarova, Aknur Zhakupova (), Ulmira Bauyrzhan and Hermann Klug
Additional contact information
Alikhan Medeu: Faculty of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
Maulken Askarova: Faculty of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
Aknur Zhakupova: Faculty of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
Ulmira Bauyrzhan: Faculty of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
Hermann Klug: UNIGIS, Department of Geoinformatics—Z_GIS, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-16

Abstract: In the context of sustainability, the concept of balanced development is crucial at both global and regional levels. This principle is equally significant for specific regions, natural-economic complexes, and local communities. Sustainable regional development necessitates a holistic approach to addressing economic, social, and environmental challenges, which are particularly pertinent at the regional scale. The sustainable development of nations is intrinsically linked to their integration into global processes; however, its resilience and stability are contingent upon balanced regional progress. The West Kazakhstan region exemplifies an economic powerhouse within the country and plays a pivotal role in national regional policy. This study introduces a conceptual model designed to evaluate sustainable development through the balanced interaction of various indicators. The results reveal a disparity between the financial and economic potential of different regions and their environmental challenges. These findings form the foundation for developing a new paradigm of sustainable development that emphasizes the integration of economic growth, social stability, and environmental security. The proposed model has the potential to be adapted in various regions of the world facing similar climatic, water, and social challenges. However, it is necessary to consider local characteristics, data availability, and institutional contexts.

Keywords: balanced development; sustainable growth model; sustainable natural resources use; regional progress; West Kazakhstan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/13/6020/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/13/6020/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:13:p:6020-:d:1691433

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().