Diversified approaches to the policy of strengthening the resilience of Ukrainian regions in the face of global shocks

Abstract

The issue of unequal development of Ukrainian regions is not a recent one. Nonetheless, a new global shock – Russia’s war against Ukraine – has further exacerbated the differences between regions in terms of their development opportunities and the necessary state support, as its intensity has a differentiated spatial (geographical) nature. The article substantiates the expediency of implementing a diversified policy of strengthening the resilience of Ukrainian regions in the face of global shocks, taking into account local socio-economic needs, endogenous development capacity, and security factor. The author identifies the basic guidelines for a diversified policy of strengthening the resilience of Ukrainian regions in the context of global shocks, namely: 1) creation of attractive socio-economic and infrastructural conditions for maintaining and developing the capacity of Ukrainian economic entities; 2) return of displaced persons from abroad; 3) balanced and sustainable development of the state. The article offers a conceptual approach to a diversified policy of strengthening the resilience of Ukrainian regions in the face of global shocks in terms of functional types of territories (recovery areas, regional growth poles, territories with special development conditions, and sustainable development areas) and levels of governance (regional/territorial and national). The author argues that ensuring the resilience, sustainability, and cohesion of territorial development requires the implementation of a set of measures that involve intervention at the national level. First and foremost, it is the matter of strengthening national defense and security, enhancing environmental safety, pursuing a proactive social policy and the development of the labor market as its integral part, and intensifying the state’s European integration policy. The expected consequences of the implementation of a diversified approach to the policy of strengthening the resilience of Ukrainian regions in the face of global shocks include a) reduction of imbalance in regional development, creation of equal conditions for dynamic and balanced socio-economic development of regions, and creation of favorable conditions for attracting investment and infrastructure development; b) creation of new jobs and increase in employment and overall living standards of residents, which will contribute to overcoming poverty and unemployment in the future; c) maximizing the use of the region’s endogenous capacity for its balanced development and improving the living standards of the population; d) rational and economical use of natural resources, taking into account the need to preserve and protect the environment. The author emphasizes the importance of monitoring the results of the implementation of measures to strengthen the resilience of Ukrainian regions in the face of global shocks, which should be conducted based on appropriate indicators for quantitative (using the main indicators of socio-economic development expressed in natural or cost terms) and qualitative (to track the consequences/results of specific measures and/or policy instruments for strengthening regional resilience) analysis.