# **Parting Thoughts: Looking to the Future**

178. Mining towns and other towns dominated by a single<sup>industryare oftendescribedas</sup> "dying towns" after the closure or significant downsizing<sup>of thedominantindustryin thelocal</sup> economy. This term has been avoided throughout this report,<sup>asitcarriesrathernegative</sup> implications usually without a corresponding analytical<sup>basis for thisdesignation.And whileit</sup> seems that the population of mining towns will continue<sup>tocontract(as will populationsoverall</sup> in EE/FSU, at least in the medium term), it is important<sup>to keepin mindthe short "shelf life"of</sup> some of the more grim prognoses of decline in<sup>regionsthathavesufferedlarge-scalejob-</sup> destruction as a result of industrial restructuring.<sup>It istrue that the processof recovery is a long</sup> and arduous one. One way or another, however, most<sup>municipalgovernmentswillcomearound</sup> to dealing with the problems that confront their communities.<sup>If they can be aidedin thisprocess</sup> by national and regional governments and other concerned<sup>groups,such as NGOs,that sharea</sup> vision of coal sector restructuring and implement<sup>itconsistently,financialand human costs can</sup> be reduced.

179. There is an important role to be played by makers<sup>andimplementersof policyin helping</sup> to prepare municipalities for the difficult adaptation<sup>thattheyfacewhenminesare closed,</sup> including first and foremost minimizing the period of<sup>the adaptation(whichoften includesa</sup> phase of resistance to the restructuring policy, or a<sup>phaseof simply not knowingwhat to do)so</sup> that resources may be employed more effectively and<sup>the various componentsof themitigation</sup> strategy put into operation as soon as possible.

180. The town of Stakhanov, one of the research sites in<sup>Ukraine,isa noteworthyexamplein</sup> this regard. All of the mines in Stakhanov have been<sup>closedand, asdescribedearlier,thereis</sup> evidence of a high level of out-migration from the<sup>town.The localdevelopmentresponsehas</sup> been slow to come, protracted, perhaps, by the<sup>on-goingambivalencetowards coalsector</sup> restructuring from the national level down. At the same<sup>time,for thefirst timeinmanyyears,</sup> recent assessments of Stakhanov's future prospects<sup>containa glimmerof encouraging news.A</sup> comprehensive report on Stakhanov's economic and<sup>socio-culturallifethat was preparedby the</sup> city government in 2001 details a number of positive<sup>developments,includingthe resumptionof</sup> growth of industrial production, improved tax collections,<sup>thegrowthin thenumber of individual</sup> and small enterprises, a doubling of the average monthly<sup>number of vacanciesin the employment</sup> service, and so on. Of particular interest is the description of an investment<sup>projectunder</sup> implementation by a domestic investor that is<sup>convertingwaste fromcoalminingintoa</sup> marketable product that is sold as fuel to power stations.<sup>An environmental problemhas been</sup> turned into a business opportunity.<sup>37</sup>

> **37** Stakhanov, Ukraine (2001).

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