Methodological Basis for Assessing the Socioeconomic Potential of Rural Settlements

The aim of the study is to develop a methodology for assessing the socio-economic potential at the level of rural settlements (RS) of the republic based on the analysis of national and international experience. In particular, the study of foreign experience has shown that the existing systems of indicators include more than 500 indicators characterizing the socio-economic development of rural areas, while they are adapted directly to the conditions of the area for which they were developed. When choosing indicators characterizing the level of socio-economic development of rural areas in general and rural settlements in particular, the features and target functions of rural areas of mountainous and foothill zones of Uzbekistan were taken into account. A methodology for assessing and defining rural settlements is proposed, dividing into “high”, “medium” and “low” development potential on a 5-point scale, which will make it possible to develop specific proposals in the future, taking into account the potential of the area. The scientific and practical significance of the application of this methodological approach in determining the main directions of the development of rural settlements, providing for the preservation of biodiversity and ecologically balanced development of various landscape territories, as well as their generation and integration, has been substantiated.