2nd National Round Table on Fires in natural landscapes of Ukraine

2nd National Round table “Fires in natural and cultural landscapes of Ukraine: enhancement of holistic system for protection from fires in forests, agricultural lands and other natural ecosystems” was held in the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine and was devoted to the problem of suppressing fires in natural landscapes, first of all on agricultural lands, which have caused significant damage to environment, population health, and economy of Ukraine over the last few years. National Round table was organized by Regional Eastern Europe Fire Monitoring Centre, Education and Research Institute of Forestry and Landscape-Park Management of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, with support of Global Fire Monitoring Centre (GFMC, Freiburg, Germany) and Council of Europe.

Problem of fires in natural landscapes has gained more importance over the course of the last few years, since the dynamics of area and number of such fires has uprising tendency. Such situation is caused by two main factors – weather climatic conditions and imperfect regulatory base, which regulates such activity. According to data, obtained with the help of the MODIS satellite system, average number of fires in natural landscapes is about 6.5 thousand (fires on agricultural lands, forest fires, peat fires etc.), area annual average of such fires is about 4 million hectares, majority of which are agricultural burnings. In countries of European Union problem of agricultural burnings is addressed thanks to stiff legislation and responsible attitude of governmental bodies and population.

The aim of 2nd National Round Table was to discuss the draft law of Ukraine “On alteration of certain legislative acts of Ukraine on immediate overcoming of crisis situation, which emerged due to forest fires”, which was developed in accordance with results of the 1st National Round table on wildfires management, which took place on October 26 2017 in the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine.

Representatives of main agencies, enterprises and organizations, activities of which are related to fire protection of natural landscapes, took part in the event. Overall number of 71 people took part in the Round table, representatives of various agencies and organizations from all over Ukraine: The apparatus of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Service of Ukraine for Emergency Situations (apparatus), the State Forestry Agency of Ukraine, the Kharkiv Regional Council, the Kharkiv Regional Office for Forestry and Hunting, the Kirovohrad Regional Forestry and Hunting Management, the Rivne Regional Forestry Authority the hunting economy, the Kyiv oblast and the Kyiv city, the forest and hunting management, the Zhytomyr regional forestry and hunting lord management Aristocracy, Volynska Oblast Department of Forestry and Hunting, Zaporizhzhya Regional Forestry and Hunting Management, Poltava Regional Forestry and Hunting Management, Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve, state enterprise "Stepovia im. VM Vinogradov Faculty of Law of UkrNIILGA, National Historical University of Ukraine, VN NUBiP Ukraine Boyarsky LDS, Institute of Agrarian Economics, Ukrainian Research Institute of Civil Protection, NGOs and other departments, organizations and enterprises.

Round table was held in format of reports and discussions. The developed project will be altered according to the results of the round table and taking into account participant’s comments and wishes, and afterwards will be transferred for following approval and implementation. Organizations and agencies, which were not able to participate in the event, but which have any proposals or comments on the developed project, are welcome to send them in, email [email protected], or with official letter to NUBiP. (address: 15 Heroiv Oborony St., Kyiv). Due is on April 26 2019.

Draft Law - sites/default/files/u184/proekt_zu_pro_vnesennya_zmin_shchodo_silskogospodarskih_zahodiv.pdf 
Comparative table for the draft law - sites/default/files/u184/por.tabl_.pdf
Agenda II of the National Round Table - sites/default/files/u184/reefmc-gfmc-national-round-table-fire-management-9-apr-2019-agenda-ukr-v5.pdf

Oleksandr Soshenskyi, Iryna Zibtseva,
staff of the Regional Eastern Europ Fire Monitoring Center (REEFMC)