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Forum on Ukraine Forest Science and Education: Needs and Priorities for Collaboration

This round table forum, jointly hosted by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), and the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine (NUBiP), will bring together global experts to explore pathways toward catalyzing coordinated and impactful international action to address Ukrainian forest research and education needs and priorities.

The Ukrainian forestry and forest sector is suffering unprecedent challenges – not only due to the ongoing war and resulting research capacity drain, contamination, and devastation, but also due to factors like climate change, forest health dynamics, wildfires, and a decrease in forest productivity.

This two-day forum aims to convene the scientific expertise necessary to catalyze coordinated and impactful international action addressing forest research needs and priorities of Ukraine.

Objectives

  • Provide a platform for discussion and networking to strengthen scientific collaboration among Ukrainian scientists and international peers.
  • Identify or map priorities for forest science collaboration building on the work done by Forest Europe, with particular emphasis on future joint activities (including events, educational tools, mobility, and research projects).
  • Elaborate with invited representatives of international policy processes and technical organizations what would be required at the science-policy interface.

The event will facilitate scientific bridge-building by identifying and opening necessary and new communication channels to improve research and education collaboration with the Ukraine forest science sector, collate expert recommendations, and identify a sustainable pathway forward under war and post-war conditions.

Attendance at this event is by invitation only.
 

Agenda for download

The Forum on Ukraine Forest Science and Education is kindly supported by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management (BML).

Follow-Up Activities

Photo showing Impressions from the Training school organized by HAFL in August 2024
Impressions from the Training school organized by HAFL in August 2024

Building Research and Education Capacity for Ukraine

Report from the Training School titled “Close to Nature and Close to People Forestry: Building Research and Education Capacity for Ukraine”, by Mariana Melnykovych, Deputy Coordinator of IUFRO Working Party 4.05.05 – Social innovation and entrepreneurship

The BFH-HAFL School of Agriculture, Forestry, and Food Sciences (HAFL) at Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), a member organization of IUFRO, recently organised a Mobility Program for Ukrainian scholars. This initiative included a one-week Training School titled “Close to Nature and Close to People Forestry: Building Research and Education Capacity for Ukraine.” Representatives from six leading Ukrainian forest institutions were selected to participate. The Training School covered key topics, including:

  • Innovative tools and methods in forest research and education
  • Approaches to teaching and implementing Close-to-Nature Forest Management using martelage.sylvotheque.ch platform
  • Multi-actor governance of forest landscapes with strategy games
  • Social-ecological innovations in forestry.

Designed to build capacity for early-career Ukrainian professors, the Training School addressed priority actions identified by Ukrainian forestry scientists, students, and experts at the IUFRO Forum on Ukraine Forest Science and Education: Needs and Priorities for Collaboration (2023). These actions include strengthening forest science to support evidence-based post-war forest recovery strategies, updating forestry education, and building international partnerships and enhancing collaboration.

Prof. Dr. Sergiy Zibtsev, head of the IUFRO Forum on Ukraine Forest Science and Education, highlighted during the Training School’s closing session: “This initiative builds on our discussions at the IUFRO Forum on Ukraine, where BFH HAFL played an important role. Back then we discussed the idea of a Training School. And it is great it was implemented with a great success. The Training School has provided invaluable knowledge, as well as many wonderful experiences, which participants bring back to Ukraine.”

BFH-HAFL also launched the Close-to-Nature Forestry network in Ukraine, further supporting collaborative efforts by providing tools and sharing knowledge with Ukrainian researchers. This initiative includes establishing pilot demonstration sites (marteloscopes) in Ukraine as hands-on training facilities for exploring and learning about close-to-nature forestry via the open-access martelage.sylvotheque.ch platform.

The Training School was organized by Dr. Mariana Melnykovych and Prof. Christian Rosset from the School of Agriculture, Forestry, and Food Sciences HAFL at Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH). It was supported by the IUFRO 4.05.05 Research Unit on Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, WSL and the S4C Science for the Carpathians Eastern Europe Research Network.<


Background info

Ukraine's forestry and forest sector currently face unprecedented challenges due to the war-accelerated impacts compounded by climate change. According to the report of the IUFRO Forum on Ukraine Forest Science and Education, around 2.9 million hectares of forest have been affected by military activities, with 435,000 hectares still occupied by active military actions. Additionally, 171,000 hectares of forest in Ukraine are contaminated with explosive remnants, making these areas inaccessible for forest management activities and the local population. Climate change and human-induced factors have exacerbated the situation, with drought pushing forest species towards extreme conditions. The war has caused extensive physical and fire damage to forests and shelterbelts, negatively impacting biodiversity, agricultural crop yields, and leading to soil erosion. Significant forest fires impacting the forest landscapes. Forest research capacity is disrupted as many research institutions have been damaged, leading to the displacement of students and scientists. Addressing these challenges requires comprehensive efforts involving local and international communities.

The IUFRO Forum on Ukraine Forest Science and Education: Needs and Priorities for Collaboration (November 2023) served as the first platform connecting forestry scientists, students, and policymakers from Ukraine and abroad. The forum aimed to discuss priority actions, including supporting forest research capacity, enhancing innovations in forest education, and promoting collaboration with international partners.