The BFH-HAFL School of Agriculture, Forestry, and Food Sciences (HAFL) at Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), a member organization of IUFRO, recently organised a Mobility Program for Ukrainian scholars. This initiative included a one-week Training School titled “Close to Nature and Close to People Forestry: Building Research and Education Capacity for Ukraine.” Representatives from six leading Ukrainian forest institutions were selected to participate. The Training School covered key topics, including:
- Innovative tools and methods in forest research and education
- Approaches in teaching and implementing close-to-nature forest management using martelage.sylvotheque.ch platform
- Multi-actor governance of forest landscapes with strategy games
- Social-ecological innovations in forestry.
Designed to build capacity for early-career Ukrainian professors, the Training School addressed priority actions identified by Ukrainian forestry scientists, students, and experts at the IUFRO Forum on Ukraine Forest Science and Education: Needs and Priorities for Collaboration (2023). These actions include strengthening forest science to support evidence-based post-war forest recovery strategies, innovation in forestry research and education and building international partnerships and enhancing collaboration.
Prof. Dr. Sergiy Zibtsev, head of the IUFRO Forum on Ukraine Forest Science and Education, highlighted during the Training School’s closing session: “This initiative builds on our discussions at the IUFRO Forum on Ukraine, where BFH-HAFL played an important role. Back then, we discussed the idea of a Training School, and it’s great that it was implemented with such success. The Training School has provided invaluable knowledge, as well as many wonderful experiences, which participants bring back to Ukraine”.
To strengthen collaboration with Ukraine, BFH-HAFL has launched the Close-to-Nature Forestry Network in Ukraine, further supporting knowledge sharing, exchange, and the sharing of tools and innovations, particularly in digitalization and forest landscape governance. This initiative includes establishing pilot demonstration sites (marteloscopes) in Ukraine as hands-on training facilities for exploring, learning, and sharing knowledge on close-to-nature forestry via the open-access platform martelage.sylvotheque.ch.
The Training School was organized by Dr. Mariana Melnykovych and Prof. Dr. Christian Rosset from the School of Agriculture, Forestry, and Food Sciences HAFL at Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH). It was supported by the IUFRO 4.05.05 Research Unit on Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, WSL and the S4C Science for the Carpathians Eastern Europe Research Network.
Background information about forestry in Ukraine and IUFRO Forum on Ukraine Forest Science and Education
Ukraine’s forestry and forest sector currently face unprecedented challenges due to the war-accelerated impacts compounded by climate change. According to the report of the IUFRO Forum on Ukraine Forest Science and Education, around 2.9 million hectares of forest have been affected by military activities, with 435,000 hectares still occupied by active military actions. Additionally, 171,000 hectares of forest in Ukraine are contaminated with explosive remnants, making these areas inaccessible for forest management activities and the local population. Climate change and human-induced factors have exacerbated the situation, with drought pushing forest species towards extreme conditions. The war has caused extensive physical and fire damage to forests and shelterbelts, negatively impacting biodiversity, agricultural crop yields, and leading to soil erosion. Significant forest fires impact the forest landscapes. Forest research capacity is disrupted as many research institutions have been damaged, leading to the displacement of students and scientists. Addressing these challenges requires comprehensive efforts involving local and international communities.
The IUFRO Forum on Ukraine Forest Science and Education: Needs and Priorities for Collaboration (November 2023) served as the first platform connecting forestry scientists, students, and policymakers from Ukraine and abroad. The forum aimed to discuss priority actions, including supporting forest research capacity, enhancing innovations in forest education, and promoting collaboration with international partners.