Improving the efficiency of ecosystem evaluation assets related to water

Abstract

The article develops scientific proposals for a comprehensive evaluation of ecosystem assets of territorial communities related to water in two key areas: 1) to the central executive authorities; 2) to local governments. Proposals to central authorities include general and special approaches. The development of the block of general proposals is aimed at the formation of an appropriate institutional environment, which involves the introduction of scientific approaches to the comprehensive assessment of ecosystem assets related to water, in management practice at all levels of nature management. Special approaches include proposals to extend the current Agreement on Ukraine’s association with the European Union, through the inclusion of EU directives ((ELD, 2006/11/EU); (ELD, 96/61/EU); (ELD, 2004/35/EU)); approval of a special Law of Ukraine «On evaluation ecosystem assets of the territory»; amendments to the Law of Ukraine «On strategic environmental assessment». Proposals to local governments provide for two successive steps: a) aalgorithmization of valuation of ecosystem services produced by water-related assets, using the combinatorics of appropriate valuation methods; b) introduction of valuation of the contribution of ecosystem assets related to water as a separate component of the total local ecosystem asset of a certain territorial community, using the method of calculating the net present value (NPV) of basic ecosystem assets. An integral result of the study is the Roadmap for comprehensive assessment of ecosystem assets of territorial communities related to water, which focuses on braking points, reveals and details the key guidelines of institutional support for the assessment of ecosystem assets at the state and local (territorial community) levels. Further research has prospects in the following areas: formation of an integrated strategic ecosystem approach to the introduction of ecosystem asset valuation at the state and local levels; development and introduction of effective methodological approaches to the assessment of waterrelated ecosystem assets to form the investment attractiveness of the territory by improving the efficiency of local water resources as ecosystem assets of sustainable spatial development.