ECOSYSTEM ASSETS OF THE COMMUNITIES NATURE PROTECTED TERRITORIES: APPROACHES TO THE ASSESSMENT

Abstract

The paper proves the need to reform the system of ecological management of protected areas of communities on an ecosystem basis, taking into account the general processes of decentralization and European integration. It is noted that the main problems of adequate assessment of local natural resource potential of communities, in particular the assessment of ecosystem assets of their protected areas, are related to the imperfection of the general methodology of its implementation and the relevant regulatory framework. 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, e.g. in protected areas, in particular by taking into account the value of ecosystem assets and ecosystem services produced by them in the interests of local communities. It is shown that economic assessments allow to substantiate the economic efficiency of investments in the environmental complex in order to preserve biodiversity, compare the costs and benefits of ecosystem services, as well as calculate the amount of compensation payments. It is determined that the process of assessment of ecosystem assets of territories is a measurement of the total monetary value of ecosystem-related goods and services in the region, i.e. the assessment of ecosystem assets is primarily to assess the ecosystem services produced by these assets. As a result of the study, successive stages of developing an algorithm for assessing ecosystem assets of protected areas of communities with the definition of the main structural components of assessment: valuation of ecosystem services produced by assets of protected areas, using a combination of relevant assessment methods and valuation component of the total local ecosystem asset of a particular territorial community. The calculation of the total value of ecosystem assets of protected areas of communities on the example of Blagodatnenskaya OTG of the Pervomaisky district of the Nikolaev area is executed. Proposals for optimizing the use of ecosystem assets of protected areas of communities have been developed.