Save the Carpathian Forest
Svydovets, one of the most pristine forest landscapes in Europe, is to be destroyed by a large network of ski resorts. The mountain massif in the Ukrainian Carpathian Forest is home to at least 93 endangered animal and plant species and serves as a water reservoir for the region. Primary beech forests — protected by UNESCO — can be found in the immediate vicinity of the planned Svydovets ski resort. The consequences would be massive for the fragile ecosystem in the Carpathian Forest. The projects would also have serious consequences for the local population, who depend on an intact forest landscape for their livelihood. The Bruno Manser Fonds supports the local environmental movement Free Svydovets with an international campaign and demands that the Ukrainian government protects this unique natural landscape.
You can find more information about Svydovets and the mega ski resort network in our new research report. It shows how harmful the planned ski resorts are and who is behind them. Click here to download and read.
The Svydovets project is currently in the planning phase and a lawsuit for lack of involvement of the local population is pending before the Supreme Court in Kiev. Nevertheless, preparations for the gigantic construction project are already in full swing. At the end of 2019, Ukrainian forestry experts discovered that a state-owned forestry company had started to clear an area that had been assessed as primary forest by the WWF. The affected area is part of the zone claimed by the planned tourism complex. Other non-transparent activities on-site provide clear indications that the promoters of the project are trying to circumvent democratic control. Local activists working to protect this unique natural landscape are also under massive threat. Our research has shown that the Ukrainian oligarchs Igor Kolomoisky and Gennady Bogolyubov are behind the project. Both are involved in an ongoing court case for suspected financial fraud in the billions.
Visit our campaign website for further details and video material!
Further information:
Letter from ESPOO Implementation Committee, 14.01.2020
Letter from MEPs to the Ukrainian government, 20.12.2018
Statement by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, 30.07.3018
NGO letter to Minister of Environment Ostap Semerak, 02.07.2018
Letter from WSL to Minister of Environment Ostap Semerak, 18.04.2018
Support us
Become a member
Sign up
