Interactions of Society and Nature: Contradictions and Ways of Their Overcoming

Abstract

The contemporary model of social development is studied through the prism of “human - natural resources” relationship. Main reasons for the increasing contradictions between economic and ontological laws are analyzed, ft is argued that the requirements of the sustained development guidelines as a UN document of crucial importance have been ignored by selected countries. Critical review of the current Ukrainian regulatory framework pertaining to preservation, improvement and protection of the national resource potential is given. The current regulatory norms of nature use in Ukraine and in EU countries are compared. Flaws in the current Ukrainian regulation and ecological mismanagement at local administration level are emphasized. Proposition is made on harmonizing current Ukrainian regulatory norms with requirements and criteria used in many EU countries, ft is emphasized that in Ukraine economic interests do not correlate with the laws of nature. As a consequence, indicators measuring the quality of preservation, improvement and protection of the national resource potential in Ukraine have been falling year by year. The impact of technogenous and antropogenous activities on natural resources is analyzed, with focus on the problems of preservation and development of the natural resources sphere in the Carpathian macro-region, a cross-border region with great need for optimization of interactions between human and nature. The need for stronger coordination of the effort in solving problems pertaining to preservation, development and renewal of regenerative and assimilatory properties of the Carpathian fauna and flora is substantiated. Development of the resource potential in the Carpathian macro-region and trans-border countries need to be sustained in an integral way, without administrative borders, because excessive cutting of forests and the increasing technogenous and antropogenous pressures on the nature have negative impact on the natural environment in the neighboring countries. Considerable attention in the article is drawn to use of land, water and forest resources in the agrarian sector. The need for a radically new reproduction model that would be transparent and comprehensible, and would not involve misuse of natural resources or an abuse in their preservation and protection, is substantiated. Re-privatization and deprivatization of resources in the agrarian sector of Ukraine is proposed, which would lay firm ground for their preservation and protection, and harmonization of relations between society and nature.

A large part of the study is devoted to substantiating the need for stronger contributions from morality and ethics, investment, education, science, knowledge, resource saving technologies in harmonizing the necessities of society and nature; to de-centralization of natural resources management, to the need for more significant role and participation of local administrations and broader public in these processes. Because only on local areas can people access the most comprehensive information about the environmental performance and the flaws in preservation, improvement and protection of the environment.