KYIV, June 27 — The official presentation of the UNDP-GEF project "Promoting Sustainable Livestock Management and Ecosystem Conservation in Northern Ukraine" with an educational component took place in Kyiv, in the context of supporting Ukraine's restoration efforts.

Over fifty stakeholders, including representatives from local authorities, non-governmental organizations, research institutions and the private sector, had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the project's goals, components, and expected outcomes. They actively participated in discussions on the importance of implementing sustainable practices in agriculture and preserving biodiversity in the regions of northern part of Ukraine.

Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Yevheny Fedorenko, stated that it is crucial for Ukraine to simultaneously respond to the challenges posed by the full-scale invasion and the impact of military activities on the environment. This includes assessing the damage caused to biodiversity and promoting the gradual implementation of sustainable approaches in ecosystem conservation and restoration. "The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine fully supports initiatives that contribute to the restoration of Ukraine's landscape, preservation of existing biodiversity, and will continue to promote the adoption of sustainable land use practices that enhance CO2 absorption. These approaches are the goal of the international community, of which Ukraine is already a part, with the support of the GEF and the global FOLUR program", - he said.

Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, Markiyan Dmytrasevych noted that despite the significant challenges faced by Ukrainian farmers, the available agricultural land has also significantly decreased. "During the period of russian aggression, the preservation of agricultural production, particularly in the livestock sector, is a crucial issue in the agro-industrial complex. It is important to emphasize that Ukraine possesses a powerful potential of ecosystem, landscape, and species diversity that needs to be conserved. We are convinced that the implementation of the project, the launch of which is happening today, will serve as a good example of symbiosis between the needs and aspirations of communities to incorporate best agricultural practices and scientifically substantiated models of sustainable livestock development. The pilot project will vividly demonstrate the functioning of sustainable value chains and their impact on the economy. This can serve as a basis for justifying state support programs and strategies for innovative development of domestic enterprises in the context of global production in the future", - he concluded.

Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine Christophoros Politis, stated that UNDP will continue to support projects and initiatives that contribute to the green and inclusive recovery of Ukraine. "The support this project will secure is critical as it will enhance Ukraine's capacity for sustainable resource utilization and addressing issues related to biodiversity conservation, but also and most importantly build an approach and a model that would be used across Ukraine to enhance biodiversity conservation, land use and mitigate the environmental impact of the consequences of war. Thanks to the support of the Global Environment Facility and the FOLUR platform, UNDP will continue developing a culture of sustainability, which plays a crucial role in Ukraine's recovery", - he noted. 

Requests from the media: Yulia Samus, Communications Team Leader at UNDP in Ukraine.
e-mail: yuliia.samus@undp.org 

The UNDP project "Promoting Sustainable Livestock Management and Ecosystem Conservation in Northern Ukraine" with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), will be implemented from 2022 to 2026 in seven regions of Ukraine, including Volyn, Rivne, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, and Chernihiv. The project aims to carry out comprehensive plans for sustainable land use, restore land and promote sustainable methods of livestock production, conserve and restore natural habitats, and develop a measurement, verification, and reporting system to assess and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands.