CURRENT PROBLEMS OF THE ECOSYSTEM ASSETS ASSESSMENT OF TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES

Abstract

The article is aimed at introduction of the up-to-date approaches to the economic assessment of ecosystems and their implementation while determining the priority tasks of the territorial communities development. The necessity is substantiated of the ecosystems economic assessment for determining the priority tasks of the territory development taking into account the ecosystem approach. It is emphasized that the achievement of the goals of sustainable spatial development at the local level is ensured via full mobilization of all types of local resources, in particular by taking into account the value of ecosystem assets and ecosystem services produced by them in the interests of local communities. The necessity of forming an integrated strategic approach to the introduction of ecosystem asset valuation at the local level is substantiated. The ecosystem assets of territorial communities are proved to be a continuous flow of the community ecosystem resources produced as a result of the system of functionally interconnected components of the natural environment involved in economic circulation, the use of which will contribute to economic benefits. It is shown that the economic assessment of ecosystem assets at the local level makes it possible to assess both the market value and value of ecosystems from direct and indirect use, and to identify real prospects for possible financial revenues to the community budget from their operation. Differentiated are economic approaches to estimate the ecosystem benefits at the local level. The structure and tasks of payments for the biodiversity conservation at the level of territorial communities are studied. The structural scheme of information support for estimating the ecosystem assets values of territorial communities is proposed The tasks of local authorities as to the community ecosystems management are outlined and the stages of assessment of ecosystem assets of the territorial entities are defined. The targets for application of the results of assessment of ecosystem assets of territorial communities have been determined. It is shown that the introduction of an ecosystem approach in the management of communities will contribute to the financial content of local budgets.