Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) in Rivne Nature Reserve, Ukraine in 2025. Photo credit: Mykhailo Franchuk
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By Inna Hoch, Lead National Technical Analyst, United Nations Development Programme, Ukraine
Northern Ukraine is home to Polissya, a region characterized by dense forests, misty peatlands, and expansive wetlands. It’s one of the most forested and humid landscapes in the country, with untouched ecosystems providing sanctuary to rare and endangered wildlife, including elk, lynx, otters, and the majestic black stork. Polissya’s wetlands, recognized under the Ramsar Convention on the protection of wetlands, are of international importance. More than just a geographic area, Polissya is a living symbol of nature’s resilience and beauty.
Yet, today, it faces an immense threat.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Polissya’s ecosystems have been deeply scarred. Explosions now echo through ancient forests, and toxic residues from munitions seep into once-pristine soils and rivers, poisoning wildlife and unravelling centuries of ecological balance. Landmines, shelling, and deforestation not only destroy habitats but also make environmental protection incredibly dangerous.
To respond to this urgent need, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funder the Global Environment Facility (GEF) is supporting 10 national parks and several regional reserves in Polissya as part of the World Bank-led Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration (FOLUR) project. In partnership with the government of Ukraine, the Sustainable Livestock Management and Ecosystem Conservation in Northern Ukraine project provides essential equipment and field support to help monitor wildlife, detect wildfires and restore damaged habitats. This effort is more than conservation; it is about resilience in the face of destruction.
Restoring more than nature
In Rivne Nature Reserve, another of the project's key partners, progress is already visible. Located in the heart of Polissya, the reserve is home to Ukraine’s largest Ramsar-designated wetland ecosystem, spanning over 42,000 hectares and encompassing all major types of bogs found in the region. It includes four wetlands of international importance, making it one of the country’s most vital conservation areas.
The biodiversity of this reserve is remarkable, boasting over 2,000 species of fauna and 1,600 species of flora, accounting for 35 percent of all plant species found in Polissya. Among the 305 rare species identified in the reserve, 110 animal and 54 plant species are listed in Ukraine’s Red Book of endangered species, 37 species are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, and 250 species are protected under the Bern Convention on European wildlife conservation. The reserve also provides shelter for the largest Ukrainian population of the globally vulnerable Greater Spotted Eagle, alongside other rare species.
To support this crucial work, the project has provided Rivne Nature Reserve with essential field equipment, including portable radios, inflatable boats, inverter generators, and automated weather stations. These tools enable teams to monitor remote and waterlogged areas more effectively, even under difficult conditions.
Deputy Director for Scientific Work at Rivne Nature Reserve Mykhailo Franchuk says new monitoring tools help reserve workers collect data more efficiently and work in the field more effectively.
“It’s a real step forward in protecting these unique wetland ecosystems in Ukraine,” Franchuk says.
Technology that protects and preserves
The project is also assisting park rangers and ecologists on the ground – those who walk the trails, wade through wetlands, and track the rhythms of nature day after day, even under threat.
Recently, the project supplied 13 drones to eight protected areas of the region. These drones are designed to support biodiversity monitoring and early wildfire detection, particularly in vulnerable peatlands.
One recipient, the Nobel National Nature Park, spans over 25,000 hectares. According to its director, Volodymyr Dikovytskyi, the new equipment has transformed the park’s ability to track changes across vast and previously inaccessible areas.
“We can now detect fires more quickly, observe rare species, and monitor ecosystem changes in real time,” Dikovytskyi explains. “This has greatly enhanced our daily work.”
Signs of hope
The ecological importance of the project’s efforts cannot be overstated. In places like Nizhynskyi Regional Landscape Park, protected areas serve as ecological corridors – lifelines that allow species to migrate, adapt, and survive.
As part of the project, the park received cameras and optical lenses that help rangers observe wildlife more clearly and track changes in sensitive habitats.
In early May, park workers saw something special: three marsh turtles sunbathing on a log in a quiet canal. Covered in green algae, they blended into the wood and were almost invisible.
“That moment was a quiet affirmation,” says Oleh Ivanenko, director of Nizhynskyi Park. “Even in transformed water bodies where wetlands once thrived, life endures. And if we are attentive, caring, and persistent, it won’t just survive – it will recover. With our care, nature has a chance to breathe freely once again.”
[Published Sept. 25, 2025]
