• Mission, Objectives, Structure, History of Establishment
• Strategic Environmental Action Plan of Ukrainian River Network on Conservation and Restoration of Rivers
• Establishment of Ukrainian Rivers Network
• Conclusions of All-Ukrainian Seminar “Public Participation in Conversation of Small Rivers in Ukraine”
• Declaration on the Establishment of URN
• Regulations on URN

Establishment of Ukrainian Rivers Network
 

To increase public participation in the conservation and sustainable development of small rivers and streams the All-Ukrainian Seminar “Public Participation in Conservation of Small Rivers in Ukraine” organised by the Wetlands International Black Sea Program and National Ecological Centre of Ukraine, was held in Kyiv on 17th and 19th of November 2000. 74 representatives of environmental NGOs, the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine, the State Committee of Ukraine on Water Industry, the State Environmental Inspection of Ukraine and research institutions of Ukraine participated in the seminar.

The participants discussed such issues:

• current state of small rivers in Ukraine and the main factors of their degradation;
• national and international environmental legislation on small river conservation;
• scientific support of public initiatives on small river conservation;
• experience of Ukrainian and international public organisations in the field of small river conservation;
• perspectives of improvement of clearing house mechanism on small river conservation and expansion of co-operation with mass media;
• principles of creation of national network of environmental NGOs dealing with small river conservation;
• proposals of participants for the Draft NGO Position Paper on River Conservation and Restoration to be presented at the 5th Ministerial Conference “Environment for Europe” in Kyiv, 2003; and
• NGO co-operation with state central and local authorities on small river issues as well as strengthening of public influence on environmental policy.

The participants discussed and approved such documents:

• Declaration on Ukrainian Rivers Network Establishment;
• Regulations on Ukrainian Rivers Network; and
• Strategic Environmental Action Plan of Ukrainian NGOs on the issue of conservation and improvement of the state of rivers.

Also, the Draft NGO Position Paper on River Conservation and Restoration for the 5th Ministerial Conference “Environment for Europe” (Kyiv-2003) was discussed.

The participants of the seminar prepared their proposals on informational activities, fundraising, organisation of general meetings of the Network, project proposals elaboration and holding training course on river conservation.

The participants of the Seminar decided to hold the 1st Meeting of Ukrainian Rivers Network in the summer, 2001. The School Geographical Society “Planet” (village Golovyne, Chernyakhiv Rayon, Zhytomyr Oblast) was nominated as an organiser of the meeting.

The proceedings of the All-Ukrainian Seminar “Public Participation in Conservation of Small Rivers in Ukraine” and First Workshop of the Ukrainian Rivers Network were published in 500 copies and disseminated in 2003 among seminar participants, URN members, and governmental environmental organisations.

© 2005 Ukrainian Rivers Network