Zhytomyr Oblast, 15 May 2026 — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine has provided 198 camera traps and related equipment to institutions of the Nature Reserve Fund as part of the “Promoting Sustainable Livestock Management and Ecosystem Conservation in Northern Ukraine” project, which is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Camera traps are automated devices that enable the recording of the presence, abundance and behaviour of wildlife in natural habitats without direct human interference. This is particularly important for monitoring rare, elusive or nocturnal species that are difficult to detect via conventional field surveys.

The equipment was provided to ten protected area institutions, including the Polisskyi Nature Reserve, the Rivne Nature Reserve, the Chornobyl Radiation Ecological Biosphere Reserve, the Drevlianskyi Nature Reserve, the Nizhyn Regional Landscape Park, the Mizhrichynskyi Regional Landscape Park, the Prypiat-Stokhid National Nature Park, the Shatskyi National Nature Park, the Nobel National Nature Park, and the Tsumanska Pushcha National Nature Park. 

These areas are the main hubs of Ukraine’s wildlife. The camera traps will support systematic data collection on species associated with peatland ecosystems in northern Ukraine, including seventeen species of fauna and flora. The collected data will help in the assessment of the status of populations and the detection of ecosystem changes, as well as support evidence-based decision-making on biodiversity conservation and protected area management.

As Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Oleksandr Krasnolutskyi noted:

“Support from UNDP in the implementation of environmental conservation projects is extremely important, especially in a context where all resources and efforts of our state are focused on countering the military aggression of Russia. The equipment will enhance the capacity to study and conserve protected ecosystems and will also support the adoption of effective management decisions. We are grateful to UNDP and GEF for their consistent support, both in the development of strategic biodiversity conservation documents and in the implementation of practical activities for their realization.”

Tetiana Tevkun, Team Lead, Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, UNDP in Ukraine, highlighted that effective biodiversity starts with high-quality data. 

“The provided equipment will help environmental protection institutions obtain more comprehensive information on the state of ecosystems and species inhabiting the territories of the Nature Reserve Fund,” Tevkun said. “For UNDP, it is very important to support practical tools that strengthen the capacity of Nature Reserve Fund institutions and contribute to improving the effectiveness of environmental protection measures.”

“We also plan to continue taking steps aimed at strengthening the capacity of our partners and introducing modern technological solutions for nature conservation in Ukraine.”

Background:

The UNDP project “Promoting Sustainable Livestock Management and Ecosystem Conservation in Northern Ukraine” is being implemented with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and expert guidance from the global FOLUR Programme (Food Systems. Land Use. Restoration). Its implementation period is 2022–2026.

Camera traps are not the first type of equipment for ecosystem monitoring, data collection and processing provided by UNDP to Ukrainian environmental institutions: previously, drones for environmental monitoring, office equipment, as well as weather stations were also supplied.

Media enquiries: 

Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Head of Communications and Advocacy; e-mail: yuliia.samus@undp.org