As compared with Russia in general, the territory of the Lake Ladoga watershed area stands out for the high level of economic development, and a very distinct sectoral structure. Over 600 enterprises belonging to 51 sectors are situated here. Many cities and towns in the area are industrial centres of different sectors: non-ferrous metallurgy - Volkhov, Boxitogorsk, pulp-and-paper industry - Svetogorsk, Kamennogorsk, Syasstroi, Pitkaranta, Kondopoga, Laskela, machine building - Petrokrepost, Priozersk. In the last 25 years industry has been rapidly developing in the southern parts of the Ladoga watershed (Novgorod and Pskov regions), increasing the human load on the area.
Analysis of the sectoral structure and distribution of productive forces in the Lake Ladoga drainage area indicates that:
the sectoral structure is dominated by the resources and water-consuming industries highly polluting the environment;
the relative share of high-productivity equipment and advanced technologies in the region is low, production processes do not comply with the world level, average age of equipment is one of the highest in the country;
though the qualification level is one of the highest in the country, the relative share and growth rates of science-intensive and environmentally-friendly industries is exceptionally low;
the structure of productive forces does not suit the situation with natural resources in the area any more. Therefore, more raw materials are imported from greater distances, with inefficient transport loads;
productive forces are rather unevenly distributed through the area, concentrating in certain points; and the inefficient spatial organization of the productive forces causes local overloads and increased human pressure on the natural environment;
disturbed balance between industrial and buffer zones, low percent of strictly protected areas, unsatisfied demand for recreational areas are also evidence of the technogenic environmental impact.
