WATER POLICY STRATEGY OF UKRAINE: PROSPECTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION

Abstract

The article is devoted to the development of theoretical approaches to the formation and implementation of the strategy of water policy of Ukraine in the context of climate change. As a result of the conducted research, it is proved that because of influence of various external factors there are changes of basic imperatives of functioning of modern systems of management of water resources. The need to consider these changes by improving the strategic documents that define the priorities and principles of national water management policy is substantiated. It is established that one of the main reasons for the lack of water of good quality is its low value compared to other natural resources. This leads to a lack of legal, organizational, and financial and economic grounds for ensuring the payback of water and water-dependent ecosystem services, which is the reason for lack of funds and relevant work to improve and restore environmental and hydro morphological characteristics of reservoirs and repair and modernization of existing hydraulic structures. In this regard, emphasis is placed on the need to improve methods of economic regulation and the development of mechanisms and tools for financial support of sustainable water management. In the context of the above, it is proposed to include in the list of main tasks of the draft Water Strategy of Ukraine two groups of economic levers to increase the financial base of investment support for sustainable water management. The first group is aimed at improving the rent regulation of special use of water resources and provides for raising standards for unauthorized groundwater production, for companies that produce beverages and sell bottled drinking water, as well as limiting various benefits and preferences when paying special water use fees. The second - to change the system of water resources management, the development of institutional and legal support for their use in a globalized market environment, the implementation of modern instruments of financial and economic support for the formation of territorial water resources on a corporate basis.