CHALLENGES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL LAND RESOURCES DURING UKRAINE’S POST-WAR RECOVERY
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Abstract
The strategic importance of land governance in Ukraine’s post-war recovery has grown amid severe disruptions to the agricultural sector. With rural livelihoods threatened and economic capacities diminished, this study explores institutional, legal, economic, and logistical challenges to restoring land functionality across various ownership forms. The primary aim is to identify pathways for reorganizing land systems to stabilize agricultural output, reintegrate displaced communities, and strengthen food security. The research examines land management under post-conflict conditions, assessing both damage and opportunities for reform. Methodologically, it applies comparative analysis, economic evaluation, remote sensing to estimate damage, and post-conflict recovery models from other countries. Findings indicate substantial degradation of agricultural capacity. Farmland has become inaccessible or unusable due to contamination, abandonment, or infrastructure collapse, causing estimated annual losses exceeding $11 billion. The disruption of trade corridors has heightened global food price volatility and exposed vulnerabilities in international supply chains, increasing demand for alternatives to Ukrainian grain. Drawing from global cases, the study emphasizes the role of secure tenure, transparent restitution, and decentralized governance in successful recovery. To address these challenges, the paper introduces a recovery index tailored to Ukraine’s agrarian context and proposes practical policy guidelines. Rebuilding credible land institutions emerges as urgent, not only for national stability but also for broader regional food security and investment attractiveness.
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post-conflict recovery, land governance, agricultural reform, digital cadastre, property restitution, institutional capacity, environmental rehabilitation, international cooperation
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