Sustainable (balanced) land use development is the basic foundation for the formation of Ukraine’s land system

Abstract

The article examines the key aspects of sustainable land use as a foundation for the effective development of rural areas and communities. Balanced land use should be viewed through the lens of land management development and the implementation of integrated land resource management. The excessive intensification of agriculture and the rapid expansion of cities lead to the loss of beneficial land functions, causing land degradation. The study assessed the ecological stability of territories and revealed an unsatisfactory state of ecological stability in Ukraine, associated with the high level of land plowing (68.4%). It is noted that preserving and restoring land as a unique natural resource requires active intervention by government bodies to stimulate measures for the protection and restoration of land resources through the implementation of effective environmental initiatives. Due to progressing erosion, approximately 40–50 billion hryvnias are lost annually. It is proposed to develop a conceptual strategy for enhancing the ecological sustainability of land management at the legislative level, as well as during the reform of land relations, with a focus on the ecological reorganization of the land management system in the country, regions, and newly established territorial communities. Ecologically sustainable land use is possible only with the implementation of scientific and technological advancements and the orientation of the economy towards ecological principles at the national, regional, and local levels. Sustainable land use development means not only the effective utilization of land resources but also the creation of an appropriate land institutional structure and a favorable environment for land resource management, as well as the formation of social relations that promote the rational use of ecosystems while maintaining a balance between environmental, economic, and social components. In recent years, the practice of farming under market conditions has confirmed that the productivity and efficiency of agricultural activities primarily depend on the effective use of agricultural land. Modern research presents various approaches to identifying factors that influence the efficiency of agricultural land use. It should be noted that effective land use in agricultural enterprises must be combined with economic efficiency in land management. One of the important ways to achieve this is by enhancing the operation of agricultural producers, as well as improving the mechanism based on the integration of ecological and economic components, which ensure the quality use of agricultural land.