More than a decade of cooperation in the Ukrainian Carpathians
Accompanied by a delegation of representatives from Germany’s green technology sector, Carsten Schneider visited Skolivski Beskydy National Park in the Lviv region to learn first-hand how Ukraine’s protected areas operate and about the challenges their teams face during the war.
The visit also provided an opportunity to highlight the long-standing cooperation between conservationists in Ukraine and Germany.
Michael Brombacher, Head of the FZS Europe Department, together with Vasyl Pryndak, Director of Skolivski Beskydy National Park, showed the guests concrete results from more than ten years of partnership and support for more than 12 national parks and reserves in the Ukrainian Carpathians.
This long-term support has included vehicles and uniforms for rangers, large-scale environmental education programs for children, operational support for protected areas, as well as camera traps and other technology for biodiversity monitoring.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, this support has increased significantly. This would not have been possible without the continued support of the German government, including funding from the Federal Environment Ministry through its International Climate Initiative.
Germany announces €10 million for nature conservation
During his visit, Carsten Schneider announced increased financial support for the conservation of Ukraine’s natural heritage. Germany’s Federal Environment Ministry will provide €10 million through the International Climate Initiative (IKI) to establish a nature conservation fund for Ukraine’s protected areas.
The fund is intended to help protected areas remain operational during the war while also supporting their long-term recovery and development. A particular focus will be the conservation of Ukraine’s ancient and primeval beech forests in the Carpathians, which form part of the UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site “Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe.” Ukraine is home to 15 forest areas belonging to this transnational World Heritage Site.
The funding can support measures ranging from the management and conservation of these forests to nature-friendly tourism, the reconstruction of infrastructure, modern protected area management, and training for park staff and rangers.
“Ukraine is a fantastic country with tremendous natural wealth. We support Ukraine not only in its fight for freedom, but also in ensuring that it has a future after the war. And an inseparable part of that future is this natural wealth, which is unique in Europe,” said Carsten Schneider.
The announcement sends an important signal: protecting nature and biodiversity remains an investment in Ukraine’s future, even during the war.
The Ukrainian Carpathians are home to extensive old-growth and even primary forests and exceptional biodiversity. Strong and well-equipped protected areas are essential to ensuring that this natural heritage can be conserved for future generations.
“Ukraine is a fantastic country with tremendous natural wealth. We support Ukraine not only in its fight for freedom, but also in ensuring that it has a future after the war. And an inseparable part of that future is this natural wealth, which is unique in Europe”.
Connecting conservation and regional development
The visit also focused on the economic importance of well-functioning protected areas. National parks can support sustainable tourism, create opportunities for local businesses, and contribute to the development of surrounding communities.
“Nature conservation and positive economic development must go hand in hand here,” Schneider emphasized.
Regions such as the Ukrainian Carpathians demonstrate why protected areas cannot be considered in isolation. Their long-term success also depends on opportunities for local people and on ensuring that communities can benefit from healthy and intact natural landscapes. “The Carpathians are a truly European landscape” Schneider added.
A partnership that continues through difficult times
Ulf Zimmermann, Head of Müritz National Park, one of Germany’s largest national parks, also joined the visit. The connection between him and the Skolivski Beskydy Nationalpark goes back to the first months of the war.
In spring 2022, Zimmermann personally delivered humanitarian assistance for internally displaced people who had found shelter in Skolivski Beskydy National Park.
The latest visit builds on this cooperation. It also demonstrates how long-term partnerships between protected areas, government institutions, and conservation organizations can help Ukraine’s protected areas remain operational under extraordinarily difficult circumstances.
For us at Frankfurt Zoological Society, this long-term cooperation is central to our work. We support our partners in Ukraine in strengthening protected areas, conserving biodiversity, and creating the conditions needed to safeguard the unique nature of the Ukrainian Carpathians as well as the Plossia flood-plain landscape for the long term.
