LocationsHeld in Cherkasy, the event featured a presentation on reforming the state environmental control system to improve the assessment of environmental damage caused by the war.
Sweden and UNDP collaborate to support forum of key stakeholders in environmental damage assessment
August 1, 2024
From left to right: Ihor Hopchak, Deputy Head of the State Water Agency of Ukraine; Oleksandr Turcheniak, Deputy Head of the Cherkasy Regional State Administration; Olena Kryvoruchkina, Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management; Oleg Bondarenko, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management; Ihor Zubovych, Acting Head of the State Environmental Inspectorate of Ukraine; Dmytro Zaruba, First Deputy Head of the State Environmental Inspectorate.
Photo credit: Svitlana Korableva / UNDP in Ukraine
Cherkasy, 1 August 2024 – Over 60 representatives from key stakeholders in the field of war-related environmental damage assessment have taken part in offsite meetings of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management and the State Environmental Inspectorate in Ukraine.
The events were organized with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine as part of the Environmental Damage Assessment project, funded by Sweden.
The forum brought together members of parliament, representatives from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, the State Environmental Inspectorate, and other key state institutions. Discussions focused on the current state of legislation regarding the recording of environmental damage and the ongoing reforms of Ukraine's environmental control system.
UNDP experts provided training sessions for State Environmental Inspectorate specialists, emphasizing support for effective communications and gender equality, both of which are crucial for a comprehensive reform process.
In her opening remarks, Olena Kryvoruchkina, Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management, underlined the importance of reforming the state environmental control system, identifying it as a critical component of Ukraine's European integration commitments.
‘“Implementing this ambitious task in Ukraine requires the coordinated efforts of many stakeholders,” Kryvoruchkina said. “I’m grateful to all international partners, particularly the UNDP, for their support in our reform journey.”
Ihor Zubovych, Acting Head of the State Environmental Inspectorate of Ukraine, emphasized the need for a European-style environmental control institution to effectively document environmental crimes. “The training provided by UNDP experts is a significant contribution to enhancing the institutional capacity of the reformed State Environmental Inspectorate,” he said.
Roman Shakhmatenko, Team Leader of the UNDP in Ukraine’s Energy and Environment Portfolio, highlighted the critical role of reliable data on the environmental damage in decision-making for Ukraine’s green recovery.
“The UNDP in Ukraine will continue to act as an integrator, collaborating with all stakeholders to implement the ‘build back better’ principle in post-war recovery approaches,” Shakhmatenko said.
Media enquiries
Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Head of Communications; e-mail: yuliia.samus@undp.org
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