Environmental policy of Abkhazia: sociocultural essay

Dbar Sof'ya Postgraduate student; Faculty of Sociology; Lomonosov Moscow State University 119234, Russia, Moscow, Leninskie Gory str., 1, p. 33. sofadzho@mail.ru

Introduction

Environmental policy is an integral part of government, especially for countries with unique natural resources and great cultural heritage. Abkhazia, with its diverse ecosystem and rich history, is becoming an interesting object in the context of studying the socio-cultural factors of environmental policy. Our analysis will show that a successful environmental policy is impossible without an integrated approach to its formation, which will show the importance of taking into account socio-cultural factors in its implementation. This will allow us to identify existing problems in this area, as well as to design the most suitable solutions for them.

The problem of environmental protection has acquired global importance, which requires an integrated approach that allows taking into account both global and local factors affecting the state of the environment. Modern environmental challenges, such as climate change, ozone depletion, waste management, air and water pollution, require coordinated actions at all levels: from international agreements to local initiatives. It is necessary to develop legislative measures to protect the environment, as well as to support scientific research in the field of creating effective solutions to environmental problems. However, their success will largely depend on the willingness of society to change its consumer habits. In order to form environmental awareness, it is important to organize public discussions, environmental actions and events, and integrate environmental issues into school and university programs in order to increase awareness and responsibility for the environment. It is also necessary to support the implementation of environmental education initiatives. To implement such environmental strategies, it is reasonable to take into account the social and cultural context. This will make it possible to develop measures that will be perceived by the population as significant, which will ensure their effective assimilation.

In this article, we will try not only to determine which socio-cultural factors have an impact on the formation and implementation of the environmental policy of Abkhazia, but also to reveal the peculiarity of this impact.

The main part

To achieve these goals, you should start by analyzing the concept of "environmental policy". One of the first concepts to reveal the interaction of nature and man is the "noosphere" by V. I. Vernadsky.

The noosphere is the highest stage in the development of the biosphere, which requires: intelligence, knowledge and activity ^[3]. The concept laid the intellectual and ethical foundations for understanding and solving environmental problems, stimulated the development of environmental education and international cooperation.

Awareness of the global nature of the environmental problem begins in the middle of the 20th century, when changes in public consciousness became noticeable. After the Second World War, society faced many environmental problems: air and water pollution, species extinction, land degradation. These problems aroused the interest of the general public, becoming the starting point for the creation of environmental organizations and international agreements that influenced the formation and development of environmental policy. The report of the Club of Rome "Limits of Growth" ^[4] in 1972 and the report of G.H. Brundtland "Our common Future" ^[6] in 1987 laid the foundation for the concept of "sustainable development", which is a fusion of three components: economic, social and environmental.

The following conferences played a key role in the implementation of environmental standards in politics, raising global awareness and cooperation in the field of sustainable development: Rio de Janeiro 1992, Johannesburg 2002, Rio+20 and Stockholm +50. The concept of sustainable development has made it possible to rethink approaches to economic development, focusing on the need to integrate environmental and social aspects into economic models and strategic plans of States.

Many approaches to the definition of environmental policy have been formed in science: holistic, legal, considering it as an activity of the state, economic, considering it through the prism of political ecology. The most popular way is to consider environmental policy as an activity of the state, which is due to the legal and financial instruments available to the state. This allows it to perform the functions of a regulator in the environmental sphere. Within the framework of this approach, environmental policy is "a scientifically based policy aimed at preserving and reproducing a healthy and safe environment, at resolving socio-environmental conflicts through gradual environmental modernization of all spheres of society, starting from the transformation of the basic value system, respect for civil rights and freedoms and up to the restructuring of industrial production based on the expanding use of nature-saving technologies" ^{[12, p.34]}. This definition is comprehensive, as it covers key aspects of sustainable development, takes into account a science-based approach and emphasizes the importance of fundamental research for the implementation of successful policies. It also focuses on socio-ecological contradictions, the settlement of which requires the ecological modernization of all aspects of life, as well as the transformation of the value system, which indicates the presence of socio-cultural aspects in this definition.

Thus, the definition proposed by O. N. Yanitskiy not only comprehensively covers various aspects of environmental policy, but also deeply integrates socio-cultural elements, which makes it very relevant for building harmonious relations with the environment.

An environmental policy based on achieving harmony between man and nature is the most effective for Abkhazia, due to its unique natural resources. At the same time, the country faces certain obstacles in its formation. The collapse of the USSR and the subsequent war with Georgia put Abkhazia in a situation of economic stagnation and international isolation. The war led to significant destruction of infrastructure, deterioration of the social environment and economic blockade. Today, Abkhazia is taking steps to eliminate problems at all levels, but continues to face serious challenges that require a comprehensive approach and a long time to solve them.

To create an effective environmental policy, it is necessary to take into account the historical, political and economic factors that have shaped the current situation.

We can single out two main environmental problems of modern Abkhazia: the disposal of solid household waste and the conservation of biological diversity.

The issue of waste disposal in Abkhazia is a multidimensional problem reflecting the complexities of social and economic life. According to an analytical study by an employee of the Institute of Ecology of the Academy of Sciences of Abkhazia in the country, "about 75-90 thousand tons of solid household waste (MSW) are generated annually. Currently, there are no enterprises for processing secondary raw materials on the territory of the Republic of Abkhazia" ^{[9, p.8]}. There are two methods of disposal available today: burial and incineration. They are accompanied by pollution of the soil, groundwater, emissions of harmful particles into the atmosphere, as well as the loss of the possibility of reuse of waste. All of the above places them among the least environmentally friendly disposal methods.

Current regulatory legal acts do not fully regulate waste management, which leads to the formation of "spontaneous" landfills and environmental pollution.

"In particular, there are no regulatory legal acts that are the most relevant today:

- The Republican law “On Production and Consumption Waste”;

- The Republican Law “On Sanitary and epidemiological welfare”;

- District rules for the improvement and maintenance of populated areas" ^{[9, p.27]}.

It is necessary to update and adopt new legislative norms that would take into account modern realities and international waste management standards.

In order to preserve biological diversity, it is necessary to continue the development of specially protected natural areas, which currently occupy 27% of the total area of the country. These territories serve as key areas for maintaining ecological balance, providing shelter for rare endangered species. At the moment, many plants of protected areas are subject to anthropogenic impact. The number of plant populations is decreasing due to mass deforestation and the construction of tourist bases, in particular, on the territory of national parks, which increases the recreational load on the ecosystem ^{[8, p.65]}. This problem is explained by the lack of a unified management system for protected areas in Abkhazia and the insufficient development of the regulatory framework, which leads to weak control over activities carried out within natural zones ^{[10, p.319]}. Another reason is the lack of full-fledged scientific activity in protected areas, which is extremely important for their effective functioning and the possibility of constant monitoring of rare plant species.

We have noted the importance of an integrated approach in building environmental policy, so legal problems are not the only reason complicating the solution of environmental problems. The inability to understand the extent of the damage caused indicates a low level of awareness and environmental culture of the population. The solution to this problem must begin with childhood. In this context, it is important to note that the country has the necessary potential and resources to create new or improve existing environmental disciplines in schools. Which should be based on the ethnocultural values of the Abkhazian people.

Abkhazians have always had a close connection with nature, using its resources carefully and with respect. Traditional ecological practices included farming and hunting customs, which allowed maintaining an ecological balance. One of the important aspects of the Abkhazian traditional religion was the veneration of nature, which required special treatment, being an object of sacred veneration ^{[1, p.356]}. These include: mountains, trees, lakes, rivers and springs. Special rules of conduct in the mountains were developed, which forbade shouting loudly, swearing, interfering with the ecosystem and polluting drinking water sources. For example, in South Africa, India, Indonesia and Iran, traditional environmental knowledge and taboos are still used and have great potential for biodiversity conservation ^[15].

The revival of ecological traditions embedded in ethnoculture will help to recall the importance of achieving harmony with the natural environment, as well as to comply with continuous environmental education and ideas of sustainable development ^[5].

Another important task is to train qualified personnel and professional scientists in the field of ecology who will be able to develop effective ways to solve environmental problems, advise the local population and improve the regulatory framework. The current socio-economic problems complicate this task. The main reasons for the decrease in the number of employees in the scientific field are low wages and lack of career prospects ^{[2, p.90]}. Solving this problem also requires an integrated approach, including both government measures and initiatives from scientific and educational institutions.

The ability of the population to actively participate in solving environmental problems is another important component of building an effective environmental policy. Along with educational institutions, various environmental organizations play an important role in this issue. It is especially worth noting the role of the environmental non-governmental sector, which is a link between society, the state and business. Eco-ngos carry out tasks to identify, form and broadcast environmental knowledge, as well as involve the local population in solving environmental problems ^{[11, pp.113-1120]}. Philosopher E. S. Mundhe, discussing the role of eco-ngos in environmental protection in India, notes their ability to perform tasks that are sometimes inaccessible to the government ^[14]. The ability to act faster and more flexibly, in–depth knowledge of local conditions and problems, as well as the ability to attract international grants are among the few advantages of these organizations.

The main Eco–organization of Abkhazia "Apsabara" (translated from Abkhaz - "nature") It sets itself the following tasks: "informing the public about environmental problems, maintaining and developing environmental education and awareness, actively protecting environmental problems in state and local government bodies, strengthening the public environmental movement, promoting the growth of social activity in society, promoting an ecological lifestyle" ^[7]. In carrying out its activities, the organization cooperates both with government agencies in the field of nature protection and with international organizations. It is worth noting the importance of mutual support between ecoNPO and the government. The government should provide a favorable environment for Eco-NGO initiatives, and they, in turn, should become a source for assessing the relationship between environmental and social problems, which will allow creating a program to improve the standard of living of the population ^[13].

Cooperation with international environmental NGOs and their financial support allow for the implementation of various environmental projects aimed at raising awareness in the field of environmental protection. However, this activity faces a number of significant obstacles due to both internal and external factors. One of the main problems is interaction with the Government in the context of accepting financial support from international donors, due to the difficult geopolitical situation. Here it is worth noting one of the problematic aspects of NGOs – the likelihood of dependence on international donors and orientation to their priorities.

In conditions of limited local financing, many environmental projects are implemented mainly at the expense of foreign aid. This causes an ambiguous attitude on the part of the authorities, who consider foreign support as an intrusion into the internal affairs of the country and a threat to its national sovereignty, which is not recognized by most international organizations. Solving this problem is critically important for ensuring the sustainable development of Abkhazia. It is necessary to create a more transparent regulatory framework that would allow for an active dialogue and cooperation between the government, the ECO and international partners to develop mutually acceptable conditions for cooperation. This will ensure the inflow of necessary resources for the implementation of environmental projects and the opportunity to gain international experience in the field of nature conservation.

Conclusion

Thus, we came to the conclusion that an integrated approach is needed to solve environmental problems, including socio-cultural factors in the formation of an effective environmental policy. Using the example of Abkhazia, the following factors were identified: education, legislation and cultural values. Having examined each in detail, we found the need for their greening, which would include the introduction of environmental knowledge into educational programs, the improvement of legislation and the development of a society focused on environmentally sustainable values.

Recommendations

The organization of scientific activities in specially protected natural areas will solve the problem of a low number of employees in the scientific field, due to wages and lack of career prospects.

The integration of scientific activities into the tourism infrastructure of protected areas will help solve several problems at the same time:

- the presence of researchers in protected areas will open up new horizons for research, especially in the field of ecology and biodiversity, which will give the work of young scientists importance and open up career prospects;

- active scientific activity will increase the level of environmental awareness among both tourists visiting protected areas and local residents;

- the flow of tourists can become an additional source of funding, which will ensure decent salaries for researchers and create more attractive working conditions (modern research laboratories).

This will be the key to creating a sustainable environmental policy in which science and ecology will not only be a humanitarian mission, but also a source of income and professional growth.