GEF-8 project: State Forest Resources Agency continues preparing project documentation
The team of the State Forest Resources Agency of Ukraine continues active work on the preparation of the Project Preparation Grant (PPG) documentation for the GEF-8 project, «Resilient Forest Landscapes of Ukraine: Combating Land Degradation, Climate Change, and Economic Impacts through Landscape-Level Forest Restoration».
During a meeting of the Technical Committee, experts from the State Forest Resources Agency participated in discussions and developed proposals regarding the project's expected outcomes, the selection of implementation areas, the establishment of a genetic and molecular laboratory, and other key project components.
The Agency presented the proposed implementation areas, including war-damaged forests designated for restoration and naturally regenerated forest lands. Participants discussed the planned restoration measures and intervention areas, while also identifying the stakeholders that should be involved at each project site.
A key topic of the meeting was the establishment of a genetic and molecular laboratory, including its proposed location, purpose, expected functions, alignment with the project's objectives, and possible institutional arrangements for its operation.
Genetic and molecular research will help assess the adaptive potential of forest species under changing climate conditions and support the full implementation of the EU Forest Reproductive Material Regulation. Based on proposals from the Agency's experts, the laboratory is expected to become a central element of the project, as forest restoration should be based on scientifically validated laboratory research and evidence.
As a reminder, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) serves as the implementing agency for the GEF-8 project, while the State Forest Resources Agency of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Research Institute of Forestry and Forest Melioration (URIFFM) are expected to act as the executing agencies.
