The workshop took place virtually on 7 November 2025. The event aimed to:
- Increase awareness among the target audience of the Bern Convention and its relevant resolutions, particularly those governing the designation and management of Emerald sites.
- Present methodological recommendations for developing management plans for Emerald sites.
- Provide guidance on assessing the impacts of anthropogenic and military factors on Emerald sites.
- Share best practices for preparing restoration and management strategies for Emerald sites, especially in the context of Ukraine’s post-war recovery.
- Target professionals responsible for spatial planning, strategic regional and local community development, and the development and management of Emerald site management plans.
Participants
The workshop gathered the representatives of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, the State Forestry Agency, the State Water Agency, the State Fisheries Agency, the State Environmental Inspectorate, stakeholders of the three model Emerald sites, representatives of the Protected Areas’ administration, the World Bank, EU Delegation to Ukraine, research and academic institutions, universities and higher schools, media, and civil society organisations.
Background
This workshop supports Ukraine’s commitments under the Bern Convention, with a focus on the designation and management of Emerald sites. It will address key aspects of management planning, impact assessment, and post-war restoration strategies for these important conservation areas. This workshop is one of the nine capacity-building events organized as part of the World Bank-led activities under EU4Environment Program sub-component 4.1: Support to protect biodiversity and natural ecosystems (Emerald network). Activities under this sub-component aim to advance the establishment of the Emerald Network and management of the Emerald Sites in the Eastern Partner countries, including Ukraine.
Presentation slides:
Requirements and recommendations of the Bern Convention on the management of Emerald sites, conservation objectives and measures, monitoring and reporting of changes in ecological character
Management and monitoring of Emerald Sites under the Bern Convention (Olesya Petrovych, Particip GmbH)
Presentation of methodological recommendations for the preparation of management plans for Emerald sites
Methodological recommendations for Emerald Site management plans (Viktor Demchenko, NAS of Ukraine)
Presentation of methodological recommendations for assessing military impacts on the Emerald sites
Methodology for Assessing Military Impacts on Emerald Sites (Doug Weir, Eoghan Darbyshire, Anna McKean, Iryna Babanina, Linas Svolkinas, CEOBS)
Features of habitat mapping
Specific features of habitat mapping (Anna Kuzemko, NGO “Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group”)
Geoinformation systems and remote sensing of the Earth as tools for planning and assessing the condition of habitats and the Emerald sites
Mapping and Assessing Emerald Sites with GIS and Remote Sensing (Natalia Brusentsova, National Nature Park)
Methodological approaches and experience in developing and implementing management plans for the Emerald Network territories in Moldova
Emerald Network management planning in Moldova (Aurel Lozan, World Bank)
Censuses of flora and fauna species of various taxonomic groups and assessment of the state of their populations
Censuses of flora (Viktor Shapoval, NAAS)
Censuses mammals species (Mykhailo Rusin, NAS of Ukraine)
Censuses of bird species (Oleksandr Bronskov, Meotida National Nature Park)
Censuses of fish species (Viktor Demchenko, Institute of Marine Biology, NAS of Ukraine)
Defining environmental protection goals, organizing monitoring of the state of species and habitats and the impact of factors, and achieving environmental protection goals
Defining and achieving environmental protection goals (Viktor Shapoval, NAAS)
Work with stakeholders and mechanisms for adaptive management and adjustment of environmental protection and restoration measures, ways to approve, review and amend the Emerald Network territory management plan
Stakeholder engagement and adaptive management of Emerald Network plans (Oleg Diakov, Rewilding Ukraine)