REGULATORY FRAMEWORK OF REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING IN UKRAINE: CHALLENGES AND IMPROVEMENT PATHWAYS IN THE POST-WAR PERIOD

Abstract

This article analyzes the current state of the regulatory framework for creating regional environmental monitoring centers within the framework of developing the state environmental monitoring system in Ukraine. Key provisions of new legislative acts regulating the creation of regional environmental monitoring centers, the functioning of information systems, and the procedure for collecting and using environmental information are reviewed. The study identifies the main shortcomings of the legislative basis: ambiguity in defining the powers and responsibilities of authorities, a lack of funding mechanisms, a lack of standards and monitoring methods, unclear requirements for technical support, and the absence of clear criteria for evaluating the system's effectiveness. Other issues include limited public access to information, insufficient integration with international systems, and personnel and technical shortages (specialists, software, technical, and resource support for regional environmental monitoring centers). Directions for improving the regulatory framework for the functioning of regional environmental monitoring centers for effective environmental management are proposed. These include: a clear hierarchy and division of powers; defining specific tasks and areas of responsibility for each body; establishing stable funding sources; mandatory publication of monitoring results; national standards and monitoring methods that comply with international requirements to ensure data reliability and comparability; unified information exchange protocols to ensure compatibility and operational data transfer; standardized technical requirements for equipment and measurement methods; a system of indicators for regular monitoring effectiveness evaluation; and a set of protocols and management decisions to be activated at the regional level when certain conditions or level exceedances occur.