RESOLUTION
Of International Research-to-Practice Conference:
“Biodiversity Conservation of Natural and Agricultural Landscapes
and Protected Areas Development”
October 10, 2014 c. Dnipropetrovsk
The draft report of Ukraine to the UN Conference on Sustainable (balanced) development of “Rio + 20” states that in Ukraine, which takes less than 6% of Europe, at least 35% of European biodiversity is focused, so Ukraine should be viewed as a powerful reserve for its recovery. Since 1991, Ukraine and Dnipropetrovsk region in particular have increased the area of nature reserve fund (NRF) from 1% to 6% and 3% respectively, despite the fact that according to the law “On General-state program of national nature reserve network of Ukraine for 2000-2015” it was planned to increase this area to just over 10%. Other words, it took more than 20 years to raise this rate 3…6 times. The opportunity to increase it almost 3 times by a year seems to be a big challenge. Till now, unfortunately, most of the country’s territory has damaged landscape, and the last military threats in the south and east of the country further enhance its poor condition. Therefore, the participants focused on the conservation of biologic, geologic and landscape diversity, formation of a national nature reserve network, development of nature conservation, international experience in nature conservation and protected areas rate of different regions.
The conference was attended by representatives of state institutions, research and university teaching staff of the region, biosphere and nature reserves staff and wide public. Aspects of natural and artificial ecosystems over a wide geographic format of both different states and natural areas found assessment in conference proceedings. Researchers pay attention to the condition of the nature spots in urban areas, to recreation systems. Among scientists and nature conservationists there was some concern in the current state of wetlands which are characterized by a variety of biota and micro landscapes, the climate conditions, great international importance in maintaining the transcontinental migration routes of water birds that requires a careful study and consideration of all the particular land. A great attention was paid to biodiversity due to agricultural activity. Areas of natural meadows and steppes were discussed and place of agricultural biodiversity as a component of the ecologic network was shown. In most of the reports and publications the concept of environmental management dominated, which in the world is called «the wise use concept» although there were other points of view.
Taking into account the above definitions the participants offered the following:
● develop a program of rehabilitation of disturbed ecosystems, including areas of nature reserve fund with the involvement of ministries, central and local authorities, academics, protected areas staff and representatives of environmental non-governmental organizations;
● draw attention of the executive branch to the need for sustainable use of the Regional Fund for Environmental Protection and “green” investments to solve the most critical environmental problems in the field;
● begin to build the institutional system of biodiversity conservation considering national priorities;
● strengthen cooperation with local governments, NGOs and scientific organizations to meet the requirements of the Convention on Biological Diversity;
● take steps to scientific studies, economic development and incentive approaches to biodiversity and agricultural biodiversity conservation;
● draw attention of the executive branch and local authorities to the need for beginning works on land conservation, especially cultivated but eroded and destructively altered areas;
● significantly increase recreation areas on reclaimed land;
● for nature users: regulate natural resource preparation volumes that should not exceed the annual increase in population;
● make proposals to resolve the contradictions between different laws relating to the nature reserve fund (Forest and Land Code of Ukraine, the Law of Ukraine “On the Nature Reserve Fund of Ukraine”, “On licensing in the sphere of economic activity”, etc.), to establish nature areas conservation priority over other types of human activity and nature use and apply for this a working group of experts, government representatives, society, business and local communities;
● create a separate central executive body – “the State Agency for nature reserve network and lands conservation” and its branches in regions, which will supervise all protected areas of Ukraine, for coordination and effective implementation of the state policy on Protected Areas; at regional level create a municipal company for ensuring, maintenance, preservation and protection of established protected areas;
● continue the adaptation of Ukrainian legislation in the field of environment conservation in accordance with the requirements of EU directives, to introduce by 2020 the ecosystem approach to management activities and to update environmental programs in the regions where previous terms have been expired;
● continue to strengthen environmental education for civil staff, representatives of local communities and local governments, citizens, businesses and public organizations; recover publishing the literature on protected areas of the region by the Regional Fund for Environment Protection;
● promote the concept of the reserve balances to preserve unique natural environment;
● increase landscape diversity of agriculture areas by reducing the area of cultivated land by those of little value in certain commercial lands (eroded, saline, re-cultivated), as well as those that are essential for landscape restoration, biologic and agrobiologic diversity;
● create a regional program for development of scientific bases and support to the implementation of natural farming; to assign the Centre for Protection in Agriculture of Dnipropetrovsk State Agrarian-Economic University the coordinator of the program;
● draw attention of ministries and departments of Ukraine in the need for biosphere reserves, national and regional landscape parks financial supply;
● ensure the protection and conservation of protected steppes in the zonal aspect based on a system of multivariate nature use;
● engage the society and scientists to implement activities and projects in the conservation of biologic, geologic and landscape diversity, to establish the Scientific Expert Council as representatives of research institutions and environmental NGOs;
● attract professionals with specialized education and experience in this area when appointing senior positions in Protected Areas domain;
● organize public control of the biosphere and nature reserves;
● strengthen public control and simplify the procedure for obtaining the status of public environmental inspector for representatives of public organizations with at least 5-year experience of environmental activities.
In Dnipropetrovsk region at the following territories are subject to conservation at reasonable and responsible approach:
1. All gorge groves without exception.
2. All shelving plants and slope forests along the river Samara.
3. Floodplain and upland oak systems.
4. Forest and other vegetation complexes in the gullies and ravines.
5. Meadows.
6. Artificial forests that have been naturalized.
7. Rocky outcrops in the guillies on the banks of the lower watercourse of the Dnipro and the slopes by the river Bazavluk.
8. Terraced slopes of the right bank of the ancient Samara-Kilchenska valley within the tract “Otchenashkivski holdings.”
9. Short-floodplain nature oak systems of centuries origin.
10. All old trees in different forest types.
11. All geologic nature monuments.
12. Remains of halophile valley oak systems near the village Mertsalivka (upper watercourse of the Samara).
13. All steppe areas inhabited by species listed as endangered in Dnipropetrovsk region.
Regional geographical information database and based on it the Internet portal “Biodiversity of Dnipropetrovsk region and objects of nature reserve fund” have to be created. This database will provide for state authorities, researchers, community activists the information about the location of nature reserve fund areas that already exist or are planned to be created; about the process stage of creating such objects; about the results of biodiversity monitoring. Appoint Dnipropetrovsk National University named after O. Gonchar, Dnipropetrovsk State Agrarian- Economical University and Natural Reserve “Dnieper-Orilskyi” staff the coordinators of the project.
We draw attention of the community to the need for additional measures for the conservation of the landscape reserve “Bottom of the Sarmatian Sea” and with it the adjacent willow meadow near the village Yevetsko-Mykolaivka of Novomoskovsky district.
JOIN EFFORTS TO PRESERVE THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT!
ECOLOGY is the science, not things condition, it’s a methodology of nature preserving!
RIGHT to the public for the environmental information!
HUMANS are part of nature: a paradigm for coexistence!
QUALITY OF LIFE is a common concern for society!