ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCE OF REGIONAL SYSTEMS OF UKRAINE UNDER DESTRUCTIVE CHALLENGES

Abstract

This study addresses the critical issue of ecological and economic resilience in Ukrainian regional systems, which is particularly relevant in the context of the 21st-century’s “era of polycrises.” For Ukraine, this problem is acutely amplified by the ongoing war, which necessitates a post-war reconstruction founded on sustainable development principles. The main objective of the research is to conduct a comprehensive taxonomic analysis of the ecological and economic development of Ukrainian regions in the post-crisis years (2011, 2016, and 2020) and to form an integrated rating that reflects the quality of life and sustainable development of these regions. The study uses a set of six quantitative indicators (three environmental and three economic) to assess the ecological and economic status of the regions. The findings highlight distinct models of resilience. Highly resilient systems, such as the city of Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast, maintained their leading positions due to their diversified economic structure and high concentration of resources. Zaporizkzhya Oblast also demonstrated strong adaptability, even when close to the war zone, thanks to its robust industrial and energy complex. In contrast, critically vulnerable systems, including Donets and Luhans Oblasts, experienced catastrophic degradation due to the war. Luhansk Oblast showed a dramatic fall from 4th to 24th place, illustrating a “collapse effect” under extreme shock. This supports the hypothesis that resource-dependent economies are less resilient to systemic crises. Evolutionarily adaptive systems, such as Khmelnytsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Mykolaiv, and Cherkasky Oblasts, showed a positive trend, gradually improving their resilience through economic diversification and environmental modernization. The research concludes that there are two main models of resilience loss: “shock degradation” (e.g., Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts due to war) and “gradual depletion” (e.g., Kirovohrad Oblast due to structural imbalances). The results underscore the necessity of developing differentiated regional resilience strategies tailored to each region’s unique adaptive model.