SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSERVATIVE LAND USE IN WAR CONDITIONS: INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES AND MECHANISMS

Abstract

The issue of sustainable land use for nature conservation in Ukraine has acquired strategic importance due to the profound consequences of the war, which have led to ecosystem degradation, land and water pollution, infrastructure destruction, and the weakening of institutional control. The war has complicated access to territories, disrupted the implementation of environmental programs, displaced specialists, and destroyed informational resources. Under such conditions, studying the effectiveness of existing institutional mechanisms, overcoming governance barriers, and integrating sustainable development principles into the country’s post-war recovery becomes particularly relevant. The ultimate goal is to preserve natural potential, ensure environmental security, and promote balanced land use.

This article aims to comprehensively explore the theoretical and practical foundations of sustainable land-use for nature conservation during the full-scale war in Ukraine. Special attention is given to the analysis of current institutional regulatory mechanisms in this domain, along with the identification of key challenges, barriers, and risks that have emerged in the context of martial law.

The article examines the essence and significance of protected areas and analyzes their dynamics from 2012 to 2022. It investigates the impact of the war on protected natural areas and substantiates that military actions have caused direct destruction of nature reserve objects and led to systemic challenges, including the loss of territorial control, disruption of environmental governance, and the threat of irreversible destruction of unique natural landscapes. It is demonstrated that the institutional land use 

regulation system has undergone significant changes and faced challenges that have critically affected its effectiveness and integrity. Government authorities have been compelled to adapt land management procedures to the realities of the emergency legal regime. The article provides recommendations for improving institutional instruments to ensure the sustainable development of nature conservation land use.

Ensuring effective and ecologically balanced land use during wartime and the post-war recovery period is not only a challenge but also a strategic opportunity to modernize Ukraine’s land resource management system in line with the principles of sustainability, safety, and responsibility to future generations.