GIS Monitoring as a Tool of Public Governance for Environmental Safety of Territorial Communities in Ukraine

Abstract

Introduction. Environmental safety is a key component of sustainable territorial development and a prerequisite for preserving public health, natural resources, and state capacity. In Ukraine, environmental challenges have intensified due to industrial pressure, uneven territorial development, decentralization reforms, and full-scale armed aggression, including damage to critical infrastructure and ecosystems. Traditional environmental control, based on inspections, fragmented statistics, and institutional separation, is insufficient for timely local risk identification. Geographic information systems (GIS) are important for spatial environmental monitoring and decision support. The purpose of this study is to substantiate GIS monitoring as an instrument of public governance for ensuring environmental safety of territorial communities in Ukraine and to identify mechanisms for its implementation under decentralization. The object of the research is public governance in environmental safety, while the subject is GIS-based monitoring tools at the community level.

Methods. The methodological framework combines general scientific and specialized methods. Analysis and synthesis were used to generalize approaches to GIS and remote sensing in environmental monitoring. A systems approach enabled consideration of environmental safety as a complex socio-ecological and infrastructural system. Statistical and comparative methods were applied to analyze waste generation, air emissions, and water abstraction using official statistical data. GIS-based methods, including spatial analysis, cartographic visualization, and conceptual modeling, were used to identify territorial differentiation of risks and develop a GIS monitoring model integrated into the public governance cycle.

Results. The analysis shows that in 2018–2022 environmental pressures in Ukraine were characterized by significant spatial heterogeneity. Although national indicators show a decline in waste generation, air emissions, and water abstraction after 2021, these changes mainly reflect reduced economic activity caused by military actions rather than environmental policy outcomes. At the local level, risks remain concentrated in specific communities, forming “hot spots” not fully captured by traditional statistics. The study proposes a GIS monitoring model for environmental safety of territorial communities. The model integrates environmental monitoring stations, satellite observations, open government data, municipal records, and citizen reports. It also includes GIS analytical tools and a governance cycle comprising monitoring, assessment, planning, implementation, and control. This approach enables visualization of environmental risks, identification of priority zones, and support for evidence-based public decision-making.

Conclusions. The study confirms that environmental risks in territorial communities are spatially differentiated and cannot be effectively managed by conventional control instruments alone. GIS monitoring strengthens analytical capacity, transparency, and responsiveness in local environmental management. Implementation of the proposed model can improve environmental control, support strategic planning, and contribute to sustainable development of territorial communities. Further scaling of GIS-based approaches requires institutional coordination, data standardization, and development of digital competencies within local governments.