On Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th October 2016, the inception report of the „Project to support protected areas in Ukraine“ was presented and discussed at the premises of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine. In a Technical Meeting on the first day, the group of consultants who are implementing the project on behalf of the MENR and the German Development Bank KfW presented the results of the first five months of the project.

In a high-level meeting on the second day, the outcomes of the Technical Meeting were presented to senior representatives of the Ministry, but also to the donor, the German Development Bank (KfW).

The project contributes to the conservation of biodiversity in Ukraine. It aims at improving the management and conservation work of protected areas. In the framework of the project, technical support and infrastructural improvement will be provided to the parks (e.g. vehicles for rangers, guesthouses, info-centres etc.). The geographical focus is on the Carpathians: eight out of nine project areas are located in the Carpathian region of Ukraine. The project duration is six years.

The project began its operation on 1^st of May 2016 and the first project phase consisted of organising the project’s operation, that is registration of the project and establishing the office in the Carpathian region (Lviv). The project is based on a feasibility study, which was developed in 2013. During the inception phase, the technical planning was updated.

The group of consultants presented their proposed work plan for the next 12 months and an open and constructive discussion was conducted, where representatives of the Ministry but also representatives of NGOs, Directors and representatives from three Carpathian National Nature Parks and other protected areas expressed their wish for fast and visible results for the benefit of these areas. The planning of the first investments will be started soon and incorporated into the annual work plan. Management plans of the target parks will be updated or expanded in the first phase, and urgent support in terms of cars, ranger communication, repair of buildings etc. will be provided within a short time. During the first months of implementation, the project will focus on the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve and the Gorgany Nature Reserve.

The project will be delivered within the framework of the German Financial Cooperation (FC) and is being financed by the German Ministry of Economical Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the KfW Development Bank. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources (MENR) of Ukraine is responsible for the overall implementation and operation of the project. The project is delivered through an international consortium composed of AHT GROUP AG (lead), Danube-Carpathian Program of WWF International, Frankfurt Zoological Society and the Ukrainian Society for the Protection of Birds (USPB).