Socio-economic prerequisites for sustainable development of radioactively contaminated territories in Ukrainian Polissia

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of retrospective prerequisites for the restoration of radioactively contaminated lands in Ukrainian Polissia on the basis of sustainable development principles. The research methodology is based on a systemic approach, which involves the use of modern and classical scientific methods: general scientific methods (analysis and synthesis of data); retrospective and comparative analysis (identification of cause-and-effect relationships); analytical-synthetic (study of scientific and statistical data, archival materials, legislative and founding documents, etc.); mathematical (mathematical processing of obtained results). The research is based on official statistical data from the main statistical offices in Volyn, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Rivne, and Chernihiv regions. The aim of the study was to outline the socio-economic prerequisites for sustainable development of radioactive contaminated territories in Ukrainian Polissia. The study analyzed the state of economic development in Ukrainian Polissia, including the agricultural and forestry sectors, as well as the social component as a factor and indicator of sustainable regional development. Additionally, the study analyzed the housing conditions and income level of the population in the radioactive contaminated territories of Ukrainian Polissia. It has been established that the ecological factor has a significant impact on the socio-economic situation in Ukrainian Polissia, particularly when analyzing the impact of the radiological factor. The study shows that despite the leading positions of the agricultural and forestry sectors in the region, they have not been able to fully recover after the Chornobyl disaster and the post-Soviet economic crisis, which has led to negative social consequences. To address existing problems, the state employment policy should be focused primarily on preventing crisis situations and stimulating the return of migrants. Additionally, reform of economic specialization should be envisaged, taking into account regional specificities and introducing innovative technologies and solutions that would enable the attraction of investments.