Evaluation of ecosystem services of surface waters of Ukraine in the ecological and economic dimension

Abstract

The key issues of the development of a modern system of ecological and economic evaluation indicators of biodiversity are studied. In particular, the emphasis is on the ecosystem services of surface waters. It was found that surface water ecosystems provide a number of ecosystem functions and services important for the sustainable functioning of the natural environment. Although the need for these services is constantly increasing, the capacity of aquatic ecosystems to provide such services is decreasing. To achieve the goal, the article used a system of general scientific and special methods of the modern theory of the ecosystem approach and general ecological assessment, analysis and synthesis, generalization and systematization, abstract-logical method, etc. Based on the results of the analytical assessment of the Water Strategy of Ukraine until 2050, it was found that the document presents a limited ecosystem approach and lacks indicators that indicate the need to preserve water ecosystem services and identify their ecological and economic value. In this context, scientific approaches to the evaluation of ecosystem services of surface waters are substantiated and developed, which are represented by an algorithm consisting of four consecutive steps, namely: analysis of the formation of ecological and economic evaluation of ecosystem services; study of the ecological and economic state of surface waters in Ukraine and the peculiarities of their ecosystem services; development of the methodology of ecological and economic assessment of the value dimension of ecosystem services of surface waters; development of proposals for the implementation of ecological and economic assessment of ecosystem services of surface waters in the Water Strategy of Ukraine. Further research has prospects in the direction of theoretical and methodological substantiation and development of a domestic mechanism for evaluating the ecosystem services of surface water as a component of biodiversity from the standpoint of the ecosystem approach and general ecological assessment.