КОНЦЕПЦІЯ ТА МЕТОДОЛОГІЯ ФОРМУВАННЯ ПЛАНІВ ПОПЕРЕДЖЕННЯ ТА РЕАГУВАННЯ НА ЗАТОПЛЕННЯ ДЛЯ ТЕРИТОРІАЛЬНИХ ГРОМАД УКРАЇНИ

Abstract

Large-scale hydrological events, primarily catastrophic floods and flash floods, are recurrent natural hazards in Ukraine (e.g., 2008 and 2020), causing significant economic damage and destruction of critical infrastructure. Historically, the national civil protection system, especially at the level of territorial communities (TCs), has predominantly adopted a reactive approach to flood management. Existing "Emergency Response Plans" at the community level are universal, generic, and critically lacking specialized, obligatory, and preventive measures against hydrological threats. This systemic gap prevents the effective implementation of strategic state-level River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) and fails to align with modern EU Directive 2007/60/EC, which mandates proactive flood risk management. The research addresses the critical need for a structured and proactive planning instrument at the TC level. The aim of the study is to develop a concept and a structured methodology for implementing a specialized "Flood Prevention and Response Plan" (FPRP), tailored specifically for the Territorial Communities of Ukraine. The core objective is to shift the local management paradigm from mere reaction to comprehensive proactive risk mitigation, ensuring the long-term sustainability and safety of human settlements. The research employs a comparative analysis of international best practices, focusing on the integrated flood risk management cycle utilized by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and adapting its principles— Mitigation (Prevention), Preparedness, Response, and Recovery—to the legal and institutional framework of Ukraine. The proposed methodology emphasizes four key instrumental components: mandatory spatial risk analysis using GIS and UAVs; ensuring the mandatory public engagement in the planning process; establishing the specialized FPRP document; and proposing financial and regulatory mechanisms to incentivize the adoption and update of the plans by TCs. The implementation of the proposed FPRP concept and methodology is crucial for enhancing the organizational capacity, financial protection, and overall resilience of Ukraine's territorial communities against increasingly frequent hydrological threats. The research is highly relevant and offers a practical and scientifically grounded framework for institutional reforms in civil safety and local self-governance