FAO stands ready to help Ukraine in post-war environmental restoration projects

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) stands ready to help Ukraine in post-war environmental restoration projects. This issue was discussed at a meeting between First Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Ruslan Grechanyk and Advisor to the Minister Tetyana Tymochko with the FAO Regional Programme Leader for Europe and Central Asia Raimund Yehle.

The parties discussed:

• Projects currently operating in Ukraine;
• Possibilities of implementing joint initiatives for environmental protection.

For 19 years, FAO has been helping Ukraine in various projects. Basically, this is support for agriculture and animal husbandry. But the ecological component is present in almost all spheres of the country's economy. Therefore, it is important for the Ministry of Eсology and Natural Resources that FAO strengthens environmental directions in its projects.

During the meeting, Ruslan Grechanyk told Raimund Yehle about the challenges faced by Ukrainian forestry as a result of military operations.

"Due to russian aggression, Ukraine faced unprecedented challenges in the field of forestry development. As of now, 20% of forest areas are under occupation. Therefore, when it comes to supporting the forest sector, we are primarily interested in practical assistance in reforestation in liberated territories. For this purpose, the construction of forest seed centers is planned in the national recovery plan. But all this again requires additional funds," said Ruslan Grechanyk.

The First Deputy Minister emphasized that for the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources the support of the FAO in the restoration of forestry, the inventory of self-seeded forests and the revitalization of degraded landscapes is of paramount importance.

Among other things, the parties discussed the emphasis for the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources to join the Union of European Foresters. On August 30, 2022, a vote will be held in Bonn to support the forestry of Ukraine by forest administrations of European countries.

Raimund Yehle noted that FAO is strengthening its capabilities to help Ukraine in the time of trials.

"We want to continue working in Ukraine. And the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources is one of the key partners for us", noted Mr. Raimund Yehle.

The interlocutors also considered the problem of handling plastic, which accumulates on the territory of Ukraine due to the use of special grain sleeves by farmers for temporary storage of grain. We planned to discuss ways to solve this problem in more detail. In particular, the need to build a special enterprise for the processing of such plastic.

Advisor to the Minister, Tetiana Tymochko, drew attention to the fact that there is a number of natural steppe areas in Ukraine that were badly damaged by the war and need revitalization.

Raimund Yehle promised that FAO would consider the possibilities of supporting local projects of post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.