NUBiP Scientists Participated in the International Forum Carpaticum 2025
On September 9–11, 2025, the 8th International Forum Carpaticum 2025 was held in Bratislava (Slovakia) at the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Comenius University Bratislava, under the theme “Taking stock and building partnership for sustainable development of the mountain and rural areas”. The event brought together researchers, experts, policymakers, and representatives of civil society to discuss challenges and perspectives for the sustainable development of mountain and rural regions of the Carpathians.
Forum Carpaticum is a unique scientific and communication platform initiated within the Science for the Carpathians (S4C) network. Its mission is to promote interdisciplinary research, knowledge exchange, and joint solutions for preserving the natural and cultural heritage of the Carpathians. This year’s conference paid particular attention to two sub-themes: building the capacity of vulnerable mountain communities through social and solidarity economy initiatives, and bridging natural and social sciences for sustainable development.
Ukraine was represented at the forum by scientists from the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine (NUBiP) – Associate Professor of the Department of Forestry, PhD in Agricultural Sciences, Oleksandr SOSHENSKYI, and Leading Specialist of the International Projects Office, Iryna ZIBTSEVA.
Oleksandr Soshenskyi presented a report on the implementation of Closer-to-Nature Forest Management (CNFM) approaches in Ukraine within the framework of the Swiss–Ukrainian project From Crisis to Resilience with Close-to-Nature Forest Management in Ukraine. The project aims to enhance forest resilience and support the country’s post-war recovery. CNFM represents an ecologically balanced forest management system that contributes to biodiversity conservation, increases resilience to climate change, and promotes sustainable forestry practices. Key project activities include the development of educational materials, establishment of demonstration plots (marteloscopes), and organization of training workshops for researchers, professionals, and students.
Iryna Zibtseva presented the results of research conducted within the “EU4Environment – Water Resources and Environmental Data” project, focusing on land use changes in the Zakarpattia and Ivano-Frankivsk regions during 2018–2023, based on the Corine Land Cover (CLC) methodology. The findings revealed a decrease in forest and extensively used agricultural areas in favor of expanding arable lands and transitional woodlands, posing risks to the ecological network and biodiversity of the region.
The participation of NUBiP scientists in Forum Carpaticum 2025 demonstrated the university’s active integration into the international scientific community and its significant contribution to developing environmentally oriented approaches to natural resource management in the Carpathian region.