19 May 2025
,Ukraine
One of the largest cases of illegal deforestation has been recorded in Ukraine, which has become a real environmental disaster that threatens not only nature but also the country's economy. A village forest located in Rivne region has become the center of this decline. An inventory conducted within the area showed that the losses reach 3.4 billion hryvnias due to the destruction of half a million trees. This fact is a cause for concern, as the deforestation has significantly damaged the local ecosystem.
In response to this challenge, the state-owned enterprise Forests of Ukraine has announced an ambitious program to restore the affected areas. The efforts are aimed at investing almost UAH 20 million to restore 10,000 hectares of the Selyansky Forest. This restoration includes not only planting new trees, but also strategies to improve the health and resilience of existing stands. The measures taken can be a powerful tool for preventing further environmental losses and rebuilding the destroyed ecosystem, including stabilizing biodiversity and restoring natural balances.
Raising funds for restoration is a serious contribution to the environmental safety of the region. It is important to keep in mind that returning the forest to a healthy state will not only improve the environment, but can also bring huge economic benefits through ecosystem services such as air purification and water conservation.
One of the innovative methods used to bring forests back to life is the use of modern technology. New seedlings with a closed root system have become an effective solution to ensure high resilience and survival of young trees. This is an important step, as technological improvements can significantly reduce the time for restoration and improve the quality of new plantations.
In addition, the restoration of the Peasant Forest places great emphasis on the creation of mixed forests. The uniqueness of these plantations lies in the combination of coniferous and deciduous species, which increases their resistance to climate change. Mixed forests are less vulnerable to pests and fires, which ensures their long-term stability and ecological balance.
Historically, until the 2000s, part of the Village Forest belonged to collective farms, and 6,000 hectares of this forest were transferred to the state for conservation. However, a significant part, namely 10 thousand hectares, remained under constant threat of illegal logging and fires. Today's efforts are aimed at re-inventorying these lands and creating conditions for their safe future.
Therefore, these steps and investments in reforestation are vital for the sustainable development of the region and the country as a whole. Ukraine continues to work actively to overcome environmental crises caused by anthropogenic factors and looks forward to the future in terms of environmental stability and the well-being of its citizens.
