ECOLOGICAL BALANCE OF TERRITORIAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The key guidelines and ecological balance of community development in Ukraine are studied. It has been shown that social progress depends on establishing a balance between the goals of economic and social development and ensuring environmental security. The quality system of public administration at the local level is recognized as the main precondition for achieving the goals of development of territorial communities. It is established that local governments pay more attention to social and economic issues, without promoting environmental awareness among the population. The development and implementation of local plans, projects, and environmental protection programs are recognized as tools for strengthening the environmental component of territorial development. The existing positive practices for promoting sustainable development in general and environmental in particular at the level of territorial communities are characterized. It has been confirmed that local communities are better able to manage natural resources than the state or the private sector. Guidelines on ecological balance of development of territorial communities are given. The effectiveness of the tool of strategic environmental assessment is investigated. Emphasis is placed on the need to form a proper environmental awareness of the population of territorial communities. Data on human impact on the environment are presented. The main problems of ecological consciousness of the population are outlined. The need to ensure the real participation of the local population in the adoption and implementation of decisions concerning important environmental issues (to transform latent consumers into an active civil society) has been proved. It is emphasized that an effective communication process is able to support the social mobilization of the population of territorial communities in the direction of eco-awareness and ecological balance of the community itself. The premise for integration of ecological interests of all participants of interaction at the level of territorial communities is presented. The main conditions for the formation, accumulation and use of communication potential of interaction on the ecological balance of community development are outlined.