УКРАЇНСЬКІ ОБ’ЄКТИ ПРИРОДО-ЗАПОВІДНОГО ФОНДУ В УМОВАХ ВІЙНИ ТА РОСІЙСЬКОЇ ОКУПАЦІЇ

Abstract

In the article, the team of authors conducted a study of the threats to the nature conservation objects of Ukraine that have arisen due to the Russian military invasion, the consequences of the war, and proposed a number of measures for the effective preservation of protected objects in the future. A characteristic feature of the work is the use of qualitative sociological methods. In order to analyze security measures, the interaction of nature protection zone teams with the government and the public, the problem of collaborationism, damage assessment methods and other related issues, the authors conducted a series of in-depth interviews with employees of 12 Ukrainian nature reserves, national nature parks and other natural objects - a reserve fund that was directly affected by the war and occupation in 2014-2022 with an emphasis on the consequences of the full-scale Russian invasion in Ukraine. The authors proposed recommendations for nature conservation facilities on how to make the work of nature protection facility teams more efficient, safe and effective in the restoration of damaged ecosystems in protected areas. A lot of attention is paid to current and prospective methods of assessing damage caused to nature. This is especially important in the context of Ukraine’s lawsuits in international courts against the aggressor state in order to prepare a legally convincing argument for compensation for environmental damages. New principles of care for nature conservation areas are also being considered. In particular, instead of artificial ecosystems that require constant human intervention, a return to a natural landscape that reproduces itself is proposed.