Chernihiv, Ukraine, 11 August 2025 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), has provided biodiversity monitoring equipment to the Nizhyn Regional Landscape Park and the Mizhrichynskyi Regional Landscape Park in Chernihiv Oblast, in north-central Ukraine.

The new equipment will enhance the parks’ ability to monitor rare animal and plant species, combat poaching, and help protect against forest and peatland fires.

Tetiana Tevkun, the head of the Environmental Protection Project Cluster at UNDP Ukraine, noted that the handover of the equipment was part of UNDP’s consistent support, in partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), for Ukraine’s environmental protection institutions.

“The provided equipment significantly expands the capabilities of environmental institutions not only for biodiversity conservation but also for conducting research and responding promptly to emergencies,” Tevkun said. “The use of modern technology minimizes risks for both people and nature, enabling more effective, faster action with less intrusion into ecosystems."

Serhii Koshovyi, the director of the Mizhrichynskyi Regional Landscape Park, noted that the equipment would be a significant boost for the park’s work: “Our park is one of the largest nature conservation areas in Ukraine, covering more than 102,000 hectares in the interfluve of the Dnipro and Desna rivers,” Koshovyi said. “We protect about 39 animal species and over 21 species of rare plants. The equipment will greatly strengthen our capacity for monitoring, protection, and response, especially in challenging and remote areas.”

Oleh Ivanenko, the director of the Nizhyn Regional Landscape Park, added that the new equipment opens up new opportunities for specialists in preserving the region’s natural heritage: “Our park is located at the junction of two natural zones – mixed forest and forest-steppe,” Ivanenko said. “It encompasses forest, wetland, meadow, and aquatic ecosystems. Due to this diversity of landscapes, it has not always been possible to track changes promptly. With the new equipment, we will be able to monitor the state of nature more effectively, respond to threats, and preserve these unique ecosystems.”

This is the fourth batch of equipment that UNDP has delivered to environmental protection institutions with GEF support. Earlier, under the UNDP-GEF “Promoting Sustainable Livestock Management and Ecosystem Conservation in Northern Ukraine”, project, eight national nature parks and reserves in Polissya received 13 units of equipment. In August 2024, nature conservation institutions were provided with digital single-lens reflex cameras, lenses, and other IT equipment to improve biodiversity monitoring. In October 2024, they received power banks to ensure the uninterrupted work of specialists in the event of power outages.

Background:

UNDP’s “Promoting Sustainable Livestock Management and Ecosystem Conservation in Northern Ukraine” project, supported by the Global Environment Facility, is being implemented from 2022 to 2026 across seven regions of Ukraine: Volyn, Rivne, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, and Chernihiv. The project aims to develop a sustainable food system model for northern Ukraine, support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, promote sustainable land use, and preserve endangered plant and animal species.

Media inquiries: 

Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Head of Communications and Advocacy, yuliia.samus@undp.org