ECOSYSTEM APPROACH FOR ESTIMATING ECONOMIC DAMAGE FROM ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION: UKRAINIAN AUTHENTICITY

Conceptual clusters of “environmental pollution” and “economic damage from environmental pollution” are revealed and the low level of advancement of conceptual foundations of ecosystem approach in the practice of domestic economy is researched. Using ecosystem approach, the structuring of economic damage from environmental pollution by ecosystem objects of losses was carried out for the first time. This covers at least six ecosystem objects: (i) losses from degradation of biodiversity ecosystems; (ii) losses due to deterioration or destruction of ecosystem goods, services, functions; (iii) losses caused due to violation of the ecosystem’s assimilation potential; (iv) damage caused to the natural and economic complex; (v) losses from damage and destruction of bioresources segments of the national economy; (vi) losses caused to nature-oriented production or industry of the national economy. Scheme of structuring of economic damage from environmental pollution is presented. This scheme for the first time represents not only the groups of losses by ecosystem objects, but also a clear and most complete visual classification of the types of losses forming this economic damage. Their accounting will help to justify a more reliable overall economic damage caused to the national economy as a result of environmental pollution. It is shown that in practice there is an extremely disappointing situation with the application of the ecosystem approach for valuation of natural objects or damage from environmental pollution. The author proves accumulation of unresolved issues on implementation of the ecosystem approach when estimating the economic damage due to environmental pollution in terms of scientific, legal, methodical, normative and information processing. This requires not only appropriate powerful shifts and actions on the part of environmentalists, representatives of scientific community, legislative and executive bodies of the state power, but also intensification of educational work to deepen the ecological consciousness of the population, especially at the level of territorial communities.