Bio-diversity

The Project site has many natural advantages. It is one of the highest forest coverage in Ukraine (about 30 %), it has a variety of the flora and fauna, diversity of rivers, lakes and wetlands, favorable climate conditions (240 days of solar activity per year) and fertile land and availability of local community lands for organic agriculture. However it is atypical remote area of Ukraine which suffers from unemployment, fast degradation of natural resources and very low development level. These problems were stipulated by several factors, like mining by large companies with big violations of environmental regulations and lack of social and economic benefits for local communities of the region, illegal extraction of forest products, using traditional ovens and wood fire, the increase of CO2 emissions, relative proximity to the Chernobyl zone (200 km), unemployment of local communities (especially women), lack of local capacity and NGOs. In this context, the GEF SGP in Ukraine addressed the issue of environmental mainstreaming and green tourism development with practical measures for biodiversity protection and developing local capacity for community environmental monitoring. Main objectives of the Project are: To CONVERT natural advantages not to challenges, but to possibilities and benefits of socio-economic development of Zhytomyr region; To INCREASE the level of environmental awareness; To EMPOWER people with the new types of eco-friendly activities for increasing households profit (especially for women); TO EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE with other communities and partners in providing eco-friendly activities for solving global. The project is aimed to preserve biodiversity, develop a model for green tourism and popularize non-motorized transports in Malyn, Zhytomyr region. The achievement of the project objectives will be confirmed by the following indicators: - elk population increase in mid-term perspective to 200 individuals in Zhytomyr region; - master-classes conduction on elk feeding-racks production that resulted in increase of feeding-racks to 15 and storing up to 500 kg of hay annually; - CO2 emissions reduction to 2 t per year by launching a bike routes; - eco-route development between two districts including three equipped parking eco-stations that will unite local communities and strengthen partnerships; - information dissemination through a web-site on measures of the biodiversity losses prevention and environmental benefits of the region; - 30 new workplaces for local women in the sphere of green tourism will be created.

Ukraine