The Nature Reserve Fund of Khmelnytskyi Region in the Context of the Emerald Network Developemnt

Abstract

Purpose. To investigate the state of the Nature Reserve Fund (NRF) in Khmelnytskyi region in the context of the Emerald Network development. Methods. We have used the data of the Register of the Nature Reserve Fund of Khmelnytskyi region, the literature, the cartographic materials and the state documentations as the materials for our investigation. Based on the criteria created by Yu. M. Gryshchenko the state of the NRF of Khmelnytskyi region has been assessed. Results. 536 objects of the Nature Reserve Fund of Khmelnytskyi region on 328,663.98 ha have been created (January 1, 2021): 42 national objects and 494 local objects. The Nature Reserve Fund of this region includes all categories of protected areas except for the nature and biosphere reserves. About 80% of the area of the NRF is occupied by the Podilsky Tovtry National Nature Park. The NRF is characterized by high percentages of the nature reserves, high density of NRF objects and high landscape representativeness and low insularization index. Despite the expansion of the NRF over 2000–2020, the percentage of the nature reserves is 44% less than set out in the Regional Development Strategy (January 1, 2020). Eight NRF objects of this region are included in the Emerald Network of Europe. All emerald objects are characterized by high representativeness indices and the uniqueness of the flora and fauna. The objects of the Emerald Network are provided the preserving of the unique ecosystems of Podillya. These are the value of Khmelnytskyi region and Europe. The public environmental initiative “Emerald – Natura 2000 in Ukraine” has included two NRF objects to the “shadow list” in the Khmelnytskyi region: the Dnister and Ushytsia Reserves. Despite the positive dynamics of the formation of the NRF of this region, there are a lot of the problems and gaps. There are such problems as a difficult approval procedure for the creation of new protected areas; the insufficient funding of the NRF at the local and state levels. Also the system of the monitoring of the existing Nature Reserved Objects and the information about the current state of the biodiversity in this territory are absent. The non-compliance with the regime of the protected areas, the insufficient environmental awareness and the ignorance of the citizens about the need to preserve the environment are great problems. Conclusions. The NRF of Khmelnytskyi region is characterized by high qualitative and quantitative characteristics (a large number of the Nature Reserved Objects, high percentages of the nature reserves, high density of the NRF objects, high landscape representativeness and low insularization index). Eight NRF objects of this region are included in the Emerald Network of Europe. However, despite the expansion of the NRF of Khmelnytskyi region and its quality indices, a number of the problems of the nature protection have remained. These problems have to be solved in the local and national levels.