STATE MONITORING OF LANDS: A LEGAL ANALYSIS USING THE EXAMPLE OF THE RESORT CITY OF SOCHI

Abstract

Introduction. The current development of the public administration system in the Russian Federation is driven by the need to improve the efficiency of environmental management regulation and ensure environmental safety. Land, as a vital natural resource, requires comprehensive legal regulation and constant control by the state. In this regard, state land monitoring is one of the key instruments for providing information support for management activities. It allows us to obtain reliable information about the state of the land fund, identify negative changes and form informed management decisions. In the current context of the transformation of the public administration system and the strengthening of the environmental agenda, the importance of legal mechanisms for ensuring the rational use of land resources is increasing. The purpose of this study is to provide a theoretical and legal analysis of the institution of state land monitoring in the Russian Federation using the example of the municipality of the resort city of Sochi, as well as materials from the judicial practice of the courts of the city of Sochi and the Krasnodar Territory in cases related to the unauthorized occupation of land plots, violation of the regime of specially protected natural areas, challenging registration actions and invalidating transactions with land plots. Methods. The metalogical basis of the study was formed by general and specific scientific methods of inquiry. Specifically, the following were used: a formal legal method to analyze land and environmental legislation; a comparative legal method to examine various approaches to understanding land monitoring; a systems method to determine the place of land monitoring in the public administration system; and an analytical method to study scientific publications and monographs. The empirical basis for the study was formed by regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation, as well as scientific works by Russian authors in the field of land and environmental law. Results. The study established that state land monitoring constitutes a complex cross-sectoral legal institution. It was determined that within the system of public administration, land monitoring serves the function of information support for the activities of public authorities. An analysis of the regulatory framework revealed that the legal regulation of monitoring is fragmentary in nature and requires systematisation. Discussion. The obtained results confirm the conclusions presented in the scientific literature. Land monitoring as an element of public administration, ensuring the implementation of the state's environmental function. As noted in scientific studies, the implementation of geographic information systems (GIS) can significantly improve the effectiveness of monitoring. It seems advisable to: develop a unified regulatory act governing land monitoring; ensure the integration of information systems; and strengthen the digitalization of processes.