The issues of identification and the ways to support the development of mountain areas in Ukraine

Abstract

The issues of delineating the mountain areas as an object of support of socio-economic development are examined. The 2021-2027 State Regional Development Strategy adopted by the Government of Ukraine stipulates the transition to a territory-oriented development policy. The Strategy provides the types of territories that require special attention on part of the state and the application of specific mechanisms and tools to stimulate their development. Mountain areas are indicated among such territories, which requires substantiation and institutionalization of the concept of mountain areas. The paper compares the domestic practice and relevant European approaches to delineation and granting the status of mountain areas to some territories. The features of the methodology of territorial typology in the delineation of mountain areas used in the EU Member States are outlined. In particular, the categories of mountain areas, the methods and criteria for their identification based on digital analysis of topographic data on the relief are indicated. The mechanisms of external support of sustainable development and improvement of the economic competitiveness of mountain areas in the EU Member States are determined. The features of domestic practice in supporting mountain areas focused on mountain settlements are outlined, and the interpretation of mountain areas in strategic documents and legislation of Ukraine is analyzed. The conclusions regarding the need to improve the mechanisms of state support of mountain areas in Ukraine and approaches and criteria to their identification are made. The difficulties of application in Ukraine of the methodology used in the EU due to the lack of necessary mapping-digital framework are emphasized. The option of not abandoning the domestic practice of considering the settlements as mountain ones is suggested. Yet, the category of mountain areas should include the territories of administrative-territorial units of the basic level where half and over half settlements have the mountain status.