Current ecological condition of rural residential territories of Ukraine: reproduction and preservation of human and natural resource potential

In the modern socio-ecological and economic life of Ukraine, rural areas occupy a special place; they are an integral part of the agricultural sphere, because they are home to more than a third of the population of our country. These areas are characterized by an exceptional contribution to the formation of food security. Increasing the country’s export potential makes the development of rural areas one of the main priorities of Ukraine’s state policy, which aims to raise living standards of the rural population, increase the efficiency of the agro-industrial complex, improve the environment and improve the quality of life of peasants.However, prior to land reform, monitoring of agricultural land on former collective and state farms was conducted at the state level, and residential areas where the population grew for their own needs were never surveyed. And according to the population itself, no standards for the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers have ever been observed.Many years of research conducted at the Institute of Agroecology and Nature Management of NAAS found that in the residential area of rural settlements drinking water is contaminated with nitrates, vegetable products — nitrates and heavy metals, which indicates the need for monitoring in the residential area. Modern ecological assessment of rural settlements remains relevant, unrealized and requires regular research, socio-ecological monitoring and scientific substantiation of their ecologically balanced development. Intensification of agricultural production, reduction of forests and forest belts, intensive plowing of lands, intensification of water and wind erosion processes, drainage of swamps, migration and reduction of the number of experienced rural population have led to degradation of Ukraine’s agrosphere. The analysis of modern strategies of development of rural territorial communities has shown that in none of them the ecological nature protection aspect is taken into account (at best, socio-economic one, and usually — just economic development). This indicates that community leaders are not properly trained to perform their current community development functions, taking into account environmental security and policies. The still low ecological culture and consciousness of the rural population of Ukraine inhibits the civilized development of rural areas and with it the quality of life of the population in these areas.