Svitlana Fedulova

The world tendencies of spatial development, namely the availability of limited resources (primarily water) and the growth of the world’s food needs focus on the resource specialization of the region. On this basis, the purpose of the article is to study the impact of the water-capacious economy on the economic development of the country and its regions. The study used the traditional and special methods, including: historical and logical method – to analyze the functioning of regional socio-economic systems under limited water resources; and system analysis methods – to evaluate the impact of the water-capacious economy on the economic development of the country and its regions. The research results have important implications for the management of the territories. The authors show that the production specialization of the regions of Ukraine on the export/import of water-capacious products is not determined by their water supply. They also suggest that stimulating the region’s water-efficient activity should lead to a minimization of the water capacity of gross regional product and the reproduction of water capital, taking into account the water security of the regions. The authors also show that the water resources of the country and its regions and the natural water potential of the territories in the current situation become significant restriction to the economic development of territories, which allows to state the need to change the approaches to the regulation of regional development based on limited water resources.

The correlation between the development of a regional economy and the degree of infrastructural development of a country or its territory is a common practice. Considering this, the paper is aimed at studying the impact of water infrastructure on the economic security of regional socio-economic systems in order to develop a water security system for them. A variety of threats against key waterworks can seriously undermine the national economy and water security of regions and cities. Thus, the study analyzes the process of transformation of water infrastructure in the context of ensuring the economic security of regional socio-economic systems. It offers the definition of such categories as “water infrastructure” and “water security of a regional socio-economic system” to formulate a relevant economic policy in Ukraine based on world experience. The study proves the need to attribute water infrastructure to the critical infrastructure sectors of Ukraine and its regions, based on the best world practices in managing water resources and protecting the water infrastructure itself from technogenic, physical, and cyber-physical threats. According to the study results, conceptual bases for ensuring the economic security of regional socio-economic systems are developed, which differ in view of the water security system of the regional socio-economic system, giving priority to the engineering and technical infrastructure of a region.