Vol. 55 No. 3 (256) (2021)

The work summarizes the results of radioecological studies of soils implemented in one of the largest cities of Armenia: the city of Vanadzor. Gamma spectrometric and iMatic gas-less counting systems (CANBERRA) were applied to determine the specific activities of natural radionuclides (⁴⁰K, ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th) and gross α/β activities, respectively. Radiological indices and excess lifetime cancer risk were calculated according to the methodology of the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). Statistically significant correlation was found between the activities of ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K. The relatively high values of gross α/β activities were found in the northern and western parts of the city. In the case of natural radionuclides, the average (17.08 Bq/kg) and geochemical background (16.88 Bq/kg) of ²²⁶Ra and do not exceed the UNSCEAR value for the soil of Armenia (46 Bq/kg). The highest activities of ²²⁶Ra were found mainly in the northern part and city center. The average activity of ²³²Th (29.66 Bq/kg) was close to UNSCEAR average value (30 Bq/kg) and the background (37.03 Bq/kg) slightly exceeds. In most parts of the city, ²³²Th does not exceed the background value. For ⁴⁰K the average activity (390.44 Bq/kg) was found to be higher than UNSCEAR value. The background value (469.0 Bq/kg) also exceeds the UNSCEAR average, however, the activities of all investigated radionuclides are within the ranges. ⁴⁰K also does not exceed the background in most of the city. Radionuclide-associated radiological hazards, in particular, absorbed gamma dose rate, annual effective dose equivalent, radium equivalent activity, and cancer risk do not exceed the reference values.

Meanders are one of the common features of flat areas’ channels of many rivers. They are characteristic for the largest rivers originating from Armenian Highland (Euphrates, Tigris, Kura, Araks, etc.) where they leave the mountainous territories and enter the adjacent plains. There are highland rivers meanders studies only for the territory of Iraq: but there is no information regarding meanders’ parameters. Meanders of the largest highland rivers form not only valley bends caused by volcanic massifs flow and mountain ranges or sharp shift of valleys as a result of tectonic shifts, but also channel bends (meanders) formed by actual water flow within floodplains. The deviation of riverbeds from their initial stretch is also noted by growing proluvial cones of tributaries, landslide «tongues», rockfalls, mudstone outflows. Free (wandering) meanders of the riverbed and the accompanying ox-bows are formed mainly on flat uplands near rivers with clay or loamy banks bearing much sediment in a state of dynamic equilibrium. Large and clearly defined free meanders of Euphrates River were formed only within the plains of Syria and Iraq. Tigris River has free meanders mainly in Mesopotamian lowland, and Kura River-mostly within Kura-Araks lowland. The meanders of Araks River mostly belong to forced varieties. The meanders’ parameters are determined: the width of the meandering belt, the bend pitch, the bend deflection boom. Meanders and ox-bows as well as the meandering belt are clearly distinguished in high-resolution color satellite images by the green color of floodplain vegetation, in particular, in images on the territory of Syria. For all largest rivers of the highlands and their large tributaries in the areas of accumulation the fragmentation of the channel into arms the formation of sandy or sandy-pebble islands is characteristic.

Analysis of rural settlements' regional patterns in RA and the features and regional differences of rural population and settlements distribution, as well as villages' population numbers were revealed and accomplished. Mountainous relief significantly reduces the populated area of RA and influences the rural settlements' territorial patterns. Uneven distribution of both total and rural population is typical for RA. The distribution of rural population by the settlements' population number groups in RA is polarized. In 176 villages with permanent population up to 200 (19% of rural settlements) live 1.5% of the total rural population of RA. In villages with population above 3000 (10.4% of rural settlements) live more than 38% of rural population. 83% of rural population lives in villages with population above 1000 (43.1% of total rural settlements). 15.4% of rural population lives in villages with population between 201–1000 (37.8% of rural settlements). The distribution of rural settlements and population in different elevation zones is caused by historical-geographical, natural-geographical, socio-economic, urbanization, regional, geopolitical and other factors. The rural settlements are distributed between 400–2350 m in RA, but 801–1000 and 1801–2000 m zones are more densely populated. 35% of the total rural population lives in 801–1000 m zone (8.3% of country's territory) and 16.2% of rural population live in 1801–2000 m zone. There are big differences of rural population and settlements number between elevation zones and also regional differences of average population number of villages. The current geographical patterns of the distribution of rural population and settlements and villages' population numbers have a significant impact on the economy of RA, as well as on different aspects of development of particular regions and settlements. Implementation of socio-economic development programs at different levels should contribute to reduction of existing polarization rural population distribution in RA.

The success or failure of national economy's development depends on effectiveness of economic policy. However, many countries record failures or low rates of economic development. It becomes necessary to clarify the reasons for the failure of economic policy and the factors affecting its effectiveness. The article highlights the factors affecting economic policy's effectiveness, its implementation and synergy with other subsystems. By our observations, the factors affecting the effectiveness of economic policy development are:

– at the stage of theoretical justification: the complexity of the economic system, the multiplicity of economic decisions, the contradiction of approaches;

– at the stage of institutional coordination: external geopolitical and geo-economic interests, internal political interests, target hypotheses. As a result of a lack of knowledge or pressure from stakeholders the theoretical justification of economic policy may not correspond to priorities of country's economic development. Even if economic policy is scientifically substantiated, it's implemented by political institutions and redesigned in favour of political efficiency. If political institutions are extractive and protect the interests of the elite, economic efficiency is sacrificed to private interests. Factors affecting the effectiveness of the implementation of economic policy: protection of property rights, impartiality of the judiciary, lack of corruption, bureaucracy, crime, political stability․ Without improving the business environment, economic policy is either ineffective or does not work at all. Factors affecting the effectiveness of systemic interaction (synergy) of economic policy with other subsystems that contributes to its development: development of infrastructures, education and science, environmental protection, etc. No less important is the interactions of these subsystems. Knowledge of the factors affecting the effectiveness of economic policy enables us to move from situational decisions to strategic and well-grounded decisions and, thereby, contribute to increasing the effectiveness of economic policy․

Tourism is an important field of social life in terms of organizing people's recreation, expanding cultural communication, creating workplaces, improving socio-economic conditions, solving ecological problems and ensuring sustainable human development. Tourism is one of the major sources of foreign currency inflows. In order to ensure the continuous development of tourism, it is necessary to have a scientifically approved sustainable worldview and build the tourism system on its basis. Therefore, the complete analysis of the worldview of tourism, the scientific substantiation of the principles and approaches, the prediction of expected results is actual and has practical significance. In order to solve the problem, in the formulation of the tourism concept preference is given to political, moral, aesthetic and scientific concepts and to the provisions of philosophy, as well as the idea of sustainable tourism, which is formed on the basis of these provisions. The components of tourism form a whole working as a living organism on scientifically based principles. The mentality of people formed on the basis of state policy and national moral norms are important for inbound tourism. The norms of morality and aesthetics, the way of thinking formed on their basis, the relations, the needs and the their satisfaction play an exceptional role in shaping the worldview of tourism. The role of principles developed by ethics and aesthetics has a tendency to grow very fast. And in general, tourism gets more moral, aesthetic and humanistic content. Humanism, endowed with universal values, transcends state borders, brings national, ethnic, cultural differences into a common field of cooperation, helps to find common ground between them, which helps to overcome stereotypes and traditions, makes an important attraction for the development of tourism instead of creating contradictions. The worldview of tourism at a certain level of development is the basis for sustainable tourism development.