The ways to regulate environmental security in land management

Abstract

The distribution of the share of agricultural and arable lands owned and used by agricultural enterprises and farms across the regions of Ukraine and in the developed countries of Europe and America is analyzed. The paper determines that sixteen regions of Ukraine have extremely and very high share of agricultural lands in the total area of the region. The share of agricultural lands in the mentioned regions is 75.6 % of their area in Ukraine or 53.5 % of the total area of Ukraine. Thirteen oblasts have extremely and very high share of arable lands. The share of arable lands in these oblasts is 67.6 % of their area in Ukraine, 85.3 % of the total area of farmlands, 49.2 % of the total area of agricultural lands, and 34.8 % of the total are of Ukraine. The paper reveals that soils with high bio productivity within especially valuable lands of forest-steppe and steppe agrolandscapes are the most agriculturally developed and ploughed, while the least – the lands of physical and geographical area of mixed forests and mountain areas of Carpathians and Crimea. Main factors of intensive development of surface water and wind erosion are outlined. According to the research results, the ranges of areas of erosion degradation are singled out and classified, and maps-schemes are developed. Extremely high, very high, high, and significant share of eroded soils covered by combined impact of water and wind were recorded for thirteen oblasts. The total share of eroded soils in the researched agricultural farmlands of these regions is 82.1 % of their total share in the country. The zonal patterns of expansion and development of soil erosion are revealed. The legal framework of activity directions and measures directed at prevention of soil erosion is presented. The ways to introduce economic measures to achieve environmental security in land management are suggested. The issues of extending the list of environmental taxes provided by the Tax Code of Ukraine with inclusion of chemical pollution, depletion, and reduction of natural land fertility tax are addressed.