Current assessments of sustainability are based on traditional indicators and need to be adjusted. The article analyzes the factors of environmental management efficiency and shows the interdependence of ecosystems’ state and economic development on example of the Baikal natural area. The development of economic activity in the region largely dependson the ability to use the water resources of the lake Baikal, which is experiencing a significant anthropogenic load, and the basis for the regulation of natural resources are prohibitive and restrictive mechanisms that do not take into account the interests of the local population. The article proposes approaches to improving the assessment of development, taking into account the socio-economic and environmental indicators of the Baikal natural area.
