THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCREASING THE ECOLOGICAL POTENTIAL IN BULGARIA

The ecological potential of the territories is determined by the specifics of the regions, related to the geographical location, climatic conditions, relief, available natural resources, but is also influenced by factors such as population size and the degree of urbanization in the region, economic development, specialization of production, etc. The aim of the paper is to analyze the state and the tendencies of natural resources in Bulgaria and on this basis to provide proposals for improving the ecological potential in the country. The introduction presents the relevance of the problem related to the importance of protecting natural resources. The analytical part analyzes the state of natural resources, presenting trends in the balance of the territory (urbanized, forest, protected, disturbed). Indicators such as water withdrawn, generated municipal waste, generated and discharged wastewater, and untreated wastewater, carbon dioxide, municipal waste sent for recycling, availability of long-term tangible assets with an environmental purpose, production of primary energy from renewable sources are analyzed. The conducted survey allows the assessment of the main activities for increasing the environmental potential in Bulgaria. Based on the analyses and assessments, proposals and recommendations for increasing the environmental potential in Bulgaria are outlined.