UNDP in Ukraine

For the first time in the country's history a National Nature Рark has received a new international recognition status on the list of transboundary territories of international importance. This new transboundary Ramsar Site “Stokhid-Pripyat-Prostyr” unites lowlands of Ukrainian and Belarusian rivers Stokhid, Pripyat and Prostyr.

The Ministries for Environmental Protection in Ukraine and Belarus supported the establishment of the transboundary Ukrainian-Belarusian territory. With assistance from a joint UNDP/GEF Project "Strengthening governance and financial sustainability of the national protected area system in Ukraine" the National Natural Park “Pripyat-Stokhid” got a Diploma from the Ramsar Convention Secretariat that confirms its addition to the list of new transboundary territories. Specifically, this means that the National park has become an object for close international attention, while its territory joined the wetlands of special protection.

2 February - the World's Wetlands Day, is also the birthday of the Convention on Wetlands - called the "Ramsar Convention" - an intergovernmental treaty that embodies the commitments of its member countries to maintain the ecological character of their Wetlands of International Importance.

“The World's Wetlands Day is celebrated this year with a slogan 'Caring for wetlands: an answer to climate change'”, - said Mykola Stetsenko, the First Deputy of the Head of the State Agency for Protected Areas of Ukraine, and the National Director of the UNDP/GEF Project. - Today we are witnessing a historic event: thanks to UNDP/GEF Project for the fist time in Ukrainian history we created a wetland with an international status. In modern world it`s impossible to solve ecological problems being closed with administrative boundaries. That`s why Ukrainian and Belarusian sides will develop a common plan for conducting further scientific research, enabling extension and rational use of Transboundary Ramsar Site “Stokhid-Pripyat-Prostyr”.

As Sergei Volkov, UNDP Senior Programme Manager says, the climate change problem is linked to green gas emissions. The world's ocean is the best absorber of green gases, while wetlands take the second place in this process.

"Wetlands maintain the environment on the proper level of ecological safety, and reduce expenses for the health care. Melioration in past century destroyed lowlands of Stokhid and Pripyat. But dried out territories give rise to fires, droughts, and diseases. That's why many resources are targeted at wetlands recovery across the world. It`s extremely profitable for society to keep the wetlands in their natural state,” he added.

Only 15 from 159 contracting states of the Ramsar Convention create trransboundary wetlands, or transboundary Ramsar sites. Now Ukraine joined this group of nations. Currently, none of 33 Ukrainian sites which are added to the Ramsar List of protected wetlands has a transboundary status.

The Pripyat River is a hub of important biosphere resources for Ukraine and Belarus, that`s why UNDP promotes sustainable use of wetlands in this region. Wetland ecosystems of Stokhid and Pripyat are well-known for their rich biodiversity and have great ecological values. The new international status will help to manage protected territories in Pripyat and Stokhid lowlands and allow to conduct joint measures for Dniper springs protection. The Dniper river supplies with water more than 10 millions people in Ukraine.

Olexander Romanuk, the First Deputy Head of the State Department of Environmental Protection in Volyn Region, told journalists about natural reserve fund in Volyn. Today natural reserve territories reached about 9,9% of the Region's territory.

This area will grow with new protected territories creation and expanding territories of the old ones. “For solving problems of the natural reserve fund in our region and in Ukraine we all need a National strategy for strengthening financial sustainability of protected areas in Ukraine, that have been developed by UNDP/GEF Project in 2009," Romanuk said.

National Nature Park “Pripyat-Stokhid” located in Volyn Region's Lubeshiv district. Its north side borders with Belarus. The Park was created in 2007. It united all natural reserved objects in Lubeshiv district. Two rivers gave its name to the Park - Pripyat and Stokhid. They have an interesting characteristic: dozens of little arms, channels, backwaters, and numerous small islands. Scenic and mysterious wetlands occupy 43% of the Park’s territories. National Nature Park “Pripyat-Stokhid” is an excellent place for tourists seeking water actions, horse-riding and walking tours opportunities. 

“Our park protects 19 species of plants and 29 species of animals from the Red Book of Ukraine, and also 8 species of animals from the European Red Book. The park unites 4 natural reserved landforms: wetlands, forests, water, and bushes," says Yuriy Olasyuk, Director of the National Nature Park “Pripyat-Stokhid”.

The Park receives tecnical assistance from the UNDP/GEF Project. They also had a chance to offer training courses to the Park's staff. Last year the park hosted the First Hand Hay-Mowing Tournament “Ukrayinska Kosovytsa”, while this August the competition will be continued. The Project’s team helped the Park in preparing application and documents during the negotiations with the Ramsar Convention Secretariat. Thanks to this Pripyat-Stokhid wetlands entered now the Transboundary Ukrainian-Belarusian territory. This Diploma offers new possibilities for park development and widening of environment protection on its territory.

In the frameworks of the Ramsar Convention Ukraine and Belarus united their efforts for saving biodiversity and protecting the unique territories of “Stokhid-Pripyat-Prostyr”. The new Transboundary territory will become the platform of international partnership for sustainability of protected areas.

Since 2007 the UN Development Programme in Ukraine and the Global Environment Facility implement a joint project "Strengthening governance and financial sustainability of the national protected area system in Ukraine". 

The goal of this 4-year project is to secure long-term conservation of biodiversity within Ukraine's Nature Reserve Fund, specifically focusing on protected areas of global, national or regional significance. 

The project's objective is to enhance the financial sustainability and strengthen institutional capacity of the PA system in Ukraine.

The normative solution will be pursued through the systematic emplacement of ear marked revenue capture mechanisms to complement budgetary subventions to the PA system, and through improvements to PA governance that ensure PA revenue streams are employed efficiently so that impact is optimized per unit of investment. The Project operates within 3 pilot territories: Shatsk National Nature Park, National Nature Park “Pripyat-Stokhid” and Regional Landscape Park “Pripyat-Stokhid”.

More information:http://www.pzf.org.ua

For more information, please, contact Olena Semenova olena.semenova@undp.org.ua