ECOLOGICAL RESILIENCE AS A FRAMEWORK FOR LONG-TERM ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND SUSTAINABLE WELL-BEING: A REVIEW

Ecological resilience has emerged as a central framework in contemporary environmental governance and sustainable development, particularly under accelerating climate change and increasing anthropogenic pressures. This review examines resilience as an emergent and multi-dimensional property of ecosystems and social–ecological systems, enabling the absorption of disturbances, adaptive responses, and the preservation of core functions essential for long-term environmental protection and human well-being. Drawing upon interdisciplinary literature, the paper synthesises key resilience mechanisms, including resistance, adaptability, recovery capacity, functional and genetic diversity, and the role of critical thresholds and hysteresis in system transformation. Particular attention is given to the interconnections between resilience, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, and climate adaptation strategies, including ecosystem-based approaches, green infrastructure, and local ecological knowledge. The review further evaluates methodological challenges in resilience assessment and discusses contemporary analytical frameworks, such as the Vigor–Organization–Resilience model and indicators of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The findings underscore the necessity of integrated, multi-scalar governance strategies that align ecological integrity with sustainable development pathways. Ecological resilience is thus positioned as both a conceptual foundation and an operational principle for safeguarding environmental stability and intergenerational quality of life.