Zacharovanyi Krai National Nature Park receives vehicle from German partners

On March 15, the Frankfurt Zoological Society handed over a Renault Duster to the administration of the Zacharovanyi Krai National Nature Park (NNP). The vehicle was purchased with the assistance of International Climate Initiative (IKI).

The ability to quickly navigate around the park is critical to meeting its main conservation objectives. Until now, the Zacharovanyi Krai NNP has had only one car, which is more than 25 years old. Therefore, the German partners, in close cooperation with the Zakarpattia Oblast Administration, purchased and donated a vehicle that will improve the mobility of employees.

The car was presented to park representatives by Yuriy Shpontak, the Director of the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Transcarpathian Regional State Administration, Vasyl Fenych, the acting Director of the Zacharovanyi Krai NNP,  Ivan Matiko, the Administrative Officer of the Irshava City Council, and Vasyl Mochan, the Head of the Program for Support of Protected Areas of the FZS in Ukraine.

“Given the difficult logistical situation and the fact that the park’s boundaries have been expanded, the FZT  is working to improve its ability to perform its core functions. We will continue to work on providing the park with the necessary vehicles,” said Vasyl Mochan.

FZS not only donates the vehicles to the parks, but also undertakes to maintain and service them as needed. It also provides fuel required for the implementation of the agreed action plan. More about the cooperation between the Zacharovanyi Krai NPP and FZS can be found here.

The International Climate Initiative (IKI) is an important part of the German government’s international commitment to climate finance. Since 2022, the IKI has been implemented by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) in close cooperation with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and the Federal Foreign Office (AA). Through the IKI, the ministries jointly support approaches in developing countries and countries with economies in transition to implement and ambitiously develop the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) enshrined in the Paris Agreement. This includes measures to adapt to the effects of climate change, conservation and restoration of natural carbon sinks, taking into account environmental, economic and social concerns. IKI also supports partner countries in achieving the goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The three ministries jointly agree on the basic structure of the IKI. This includes tools that help to ensure and verify IKI’s values and responsibilities, various calls for proposals for funding, and external communications.

The Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) in Ukraine is a representative office of the FZS, an international conservation organization launched in 1858 that supports projects in Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, and Europe. In total, the organization works with 18 countries on four continents.

FZS’s mission is to conserve wildlife and ecosystems, focusing on its protected and unique areas. In Ukraine, the organization’s activities are focused on the conservation of virgin forests and wetlands of global importance.

By combining international experience with national heritage and expertise, the FZS supports the conservation of large tracts of unspoiled nature in Ukraine. This is achieved through sustainable cooperation and support of large protected areas such as national parks, biosphere, and nature reserves.