Government to ensure sustainable development of Crimea's environment

The Cabinet of Ministers will ensure a sustainable environmental development of the Crimea. This was stated by Mykola Azarov, Prime Minister of Ukraine, at the IV International Black Sea Economic Forum held on Oct. 24, 2013 in Yalta, in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the Information-Analytical Bulletin of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine informs.

"We paid and will pay attention, first of all, to development of Crimean infrastructure: roads, high-quality water supply, clean air. Economically harmful enterprises will not be built here. We will ensure a stable economic situation for many years to come," Azarov said.

Experts say that the resort and recreation industry of the Crimea with its established infrastructure has been and still is one of the leading industries of Ukraine. In the recent past, serving of 8-9 million tourists annually ensured a steady development of resort areas, employment of Crimean population, and stable financial revenue to the budget.

Preservation and restoration of resource and environmental potential of the peninsula shall be the basis for sustainable development of the region in the near future, note the experts.

At the same time, the government analysts note that, to date, the Crimea can only apply a sustainable development strategy that ensures preservation of nature, restoration of disturbed environment, and use of the most valuable renewable resources. An equally important factor for development of the peninsula is establishment of environmental imperatives with recognition of unique ecological and recreational potential of the peninsula.

The key to successful implementation of sustainable development concept shall be found in awareness of Crimean population of severe environmental problems, which is achieved via environmental education, global informing, and adjusted actions of government and business in the field of ecology, believe the analysts.

At the same time, environmentalists conclude that, in the absence of abrupt and drastic measures stabilizing the environmental situation, Ukraine will lose this unique region.

Therefore, in 2014, the Cabinet and the Crimean government will pay more attention to environmental monitoring, while tightening the environmental policy and applying more stringent sanctions against violators of environmental laws.