Kyiv parks shrink by 800 ha in ten years – ecologist
Director of Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center Volodymyr Boreiko said that, according to a survey conducted by the center, Kyiv parks have shrunk by 800 hectares over the past decade, and Kyiv City Council failed to establish a single nature reserve in 2024.
In May last year, Kyiv City Council passed a resolution effectively blocking the creation of new nature reserves in the capital, deeming it illegal, he told a press conference hosted by the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency on Wednesday. Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center suggests that this decision was made in favor of developers and upon their request, as Kyiv previously established 10 to 15 nature reserves annually.
Therefore, the center has filed a lawsuit challenging the decision of Kyiv City Council. During the initial hearing, the State Regulatory Service of Ukraine and the Svarozhychi environmental public organization were involved as the thirds party supporting Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center.
"Earlier, I viewed development positively, appreciating the construction of new, beautiful residential complexes and infrastructure. However, when I witnessed all this encroaching upon and destroying nature reserves, I was shocked by its devastating impact. It felt like a relentless fungus, like parasites that continue to build as long as they have the money," a member of the Svarozhychi organization Oksana Burgun, who participated in the trail, said.
Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center also reported a sharp rise in attempts to destroy nature reserves or initiate construction on their sites in Kyiv over the past four years. According to ecologists, 21 attempts to damage culture sites and 40 attempts to devastate nature reserves have been recorded in the past three years in Kyiv. While nine of these attempts were successfully repelled, 29 resulted in harm to Kyiv's nature reserves. The fight for the Osokorky meadows and the Botanical Garden remains ongoing.