INVESTMENT ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF NATURE MANAGEMENT AS A FACTOR IN FORMING MODELS OF COMMUNITY LIVELIHOOD

Abstract

The relevance of this study is driven by the intensification of global environmental challenges, the growing scarcity of natural resources, the need to transition to circular economic models, and the increasing role of territorial communities in ensuring sustainable development. Under martial law and in the context of post-war recovery, investments in nature management acquire strategic importance, as they contribute to the modernization of environmental protection infrastructure, improvement of ecological safety, rational use of natural resources, reduction of anthropogenic pressure on ecosystems, and enhancement of the population’s quality of life. The formation of modern livelihood models for communities that combine economic efficiency, social cohesion, and environmental balance is becoming particularly important.

The purpose of the article is to investigate the role and impact of investments in nature management on the formation of contemporary community livelihood models, to identify priority investment areas, and to substantiate the conditions necessary for ensuring their effectiveness. The methodological framework of the study is based on general scientific and special methods, including analysis and synthesis, systemic and comparative approaches, statistical analysis of the dynamics and structure of investments in environmental protection measures, and the generalization of scientific approaches to ecological investment. The application of an interdisciplinary approach made it possible to consider investments in nature management not only as a financial resource but also as an instrument for the structural transformation of local economies.

The study demonstrates that investments in environmental projects contribute to the diversification of community economies, the development of green employment, increased energy efficiency, the formation of local value chains, and the strengthening of social capital. They create long-term conditions for sustainable development, enhance the institutional capacity of communities, and facilitate their integration into the European environmental and economic space. At the same time, a number of constraints have been identified, including insufficient financial support, dependence on external crisis factors, limited managerial and institutional capacity at the local level, and an underdeveloped system of strategic planning for environmental investments.

Promising sources of investment support include public–private partnership mechanisms, international technical assistance projects, cross-border cooperation programmes, grant funding, green municipal bonds, environmental funds, and other innovative financial instruments aimed at supporting sustainable resource use. It is substantiated that increasing the volume and efficiency of investments in nature management is a necessary prerequisite for the formation of resilient, environmentally balanced, and socially oriented models of community livelihoods capable of functioning effectively under conditions of uncertainty and post-war transformation.