SGGW scientists will help to take care of war-damaged Ukrainian forests
The war in Ukraine is a catastrophe not only for people but also causes huge damage to nature. That is why scientists from the Institute of Forestry Sciences, SGGW want to restore the recreative potential of forests to improve well-being in post-war Ukraine.
In Ukraine, as in Poland, there are huge areas covered with forests. Researchers from the SGGW Institute of Forestry, under the supervision of Dr. Wojciech Kędziora run the project “Restoring recreative potential of damaged forests for human well-being in V4 and post-war Ukraine”, financed by the International Visegrad Funds.
Restoring the recreative potential of damaged forests for human well-being in post-war Ukraine
The main objective of the project is to collect and analyze information on methods, strategies and existing best practices for restoring the recreative potential of damaged forests in the partner countries of the Visegrad Group (Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia) and to offer their implementation in war-damaged Ukrainian forests.
Social, political and ecological context
The war, which began in February 2022, is having a devastating impact on Ukraine. Many cities were affected by the attacks, and some of them were completely destroyed. Many people were left jobless and homeless.
Losses are estimated at around UAH 10 billion.
The liberation of some parts of the country enabled the rebuilding of the devastated territories and allowed people to return to their homes.
Despite the complete liberation of the eastern regions, the war also drains the mental and emotional resources.
It’s not just people and infrastructure that suffer from war. Forests, especially in eastern Ukraine, have been severely damaged. Before the war, they were often used for recreative purposes.
Currently, they are being destroyed not only by war but also by natural disasters occurring around the globe. Therefore, forest ecosystems in Ukraine, and in Central Europe lose their advantages, and restoring the recreative potential is a long-term process.
It is of the utmost importance to provide society with safe access to damaged forest ecosystems, which can give people a chance to relieve stress and clear their minds, but at the same time to preserve the ecosystems for the future.
Forests, economy, and revitalization
Scientists from the Institute of Forestry, SGGW together with their partners from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Ukraine, took care of those damaged forests, whose social and natural value has been significantly reduced. They try to show that such areas can be revitalized much faster than in the course of natural processes.
Applying appropriate management techniques, they are able to restore their non-productive value, which can give an impulse to the development of tourism and recreation in their vicinity, and help the local community to deal with the severe loss of intangible benefits provided by the forests.
Searching for solutions
“We assume that there is potential in destabilized, damaged areas that is not always quickly and fully used. We want to check it by sharing good practices, reviewing existing directions, methods and ways of developing such areas. We are going to broaden the traditional scope of damaged forest areas: the subject of our research will cover not only areas affected by natural disasters (floods caused by climate change, hurricanes, insect invasions), but also areas destabilized as a result of human activity (post-war forest, post-mining forest)” – explains Dr. Wojciech Kędziora
Future perspectives
SGGW scientists give Ukraine a chance to improve the conditions of relaxing spots and rebuild the mental state of the population affected by the war, but also to promote the development of ecotourism and green jobs (also in partner countries). They set possible directions and ways of including damaged forests in the recreative system of green areas. They want to show that those areas are essential for educational activities and can contribute to the promotion of green jobs.
Partner universities:
Sumy National Agrarian University (snau.edu.ua)
The Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (www.czu.cz)
Technical University in Zvolen (www.tuzvo.sk)
The entire project will be financed by the Visegrad Funds www.visegradfund.org
