Areas of the nature reserve fund use in the context of sustainable development

Abstract The study is aimed at analysing the conditions and prospects of the nature reserve fund development of the Kharkiv region in order to develop recommendations for optimising the management and conservation of natural resources in the sustainable development context. The nature reserve fund is an important component of the sustainable development model, contributing to the conservation of biodiversity, maintaining the sustainability of natural ecosystems, environmental education and recreation. The article examines the problem of slowing down the formation pace of new territories and objects of the nature reserve fund (NRF) in Kharkiv region and in Ukraine as a whole, which is a consequence of the current socio-economic situation. The authors of the article believe that to solve this problem, it is necessary to amend the current legislation, in particular, to simplify the procedures for creating new NRF objects and to introduce economic measures to encourage land users and landowners to create such objects. It is noted that the existing protected area rate in Kharkiv region, although exceeding the average rate in Ukraine, is still lower than in neighbouring European countries. The problematic issues are compounded by the lack of a clear strategy for the development of protected areas and the lack of the management system coordination at the state and regional levels. To solve these problems, it is necessary to ensure the implementation of a set of measures, such as the creation of a scientifically based network of protected areas and objects and a system of balanced nature management. The article offers a set of measures to intensify the processes aimed at achieving Goal 15 in Ukraine, in particular, to intensify the work of local authorities to create new territories and objects of the nature reserve fund.