Flagship initiative • Nature-based recovery and community resilience
Ukraine / Forest UA
Forest UA is a DIFS initiative supporting nature-based recovery, ecological restoration and community resilience in Ukraine. It connects biodiversity protection with social wellbeing, transparent reporting and long-term restoration planning.
The project focuses on two urgent landscapes: the Khortytsia Island Nature Reserve in Zaporizhzhia, where rare species and protected ecosystems face war-related risk, and degraded areas in the Volyn region affected by illegal amber mining, where restoration requires research, soil recovery planning and future reforestation capacity.
This page updates the original Forest UA concept into a current recovery framework: ecological significance, current risks, project logic, evidence and reporting, and practical ways to help.
Key takeaways
Khortytsia is ecologically significant
Ecological significance, war-related threats and seed banking logic.
Green recovery is now official recovery language
UNEP, UNDP and the Green Recovery platform all frame ecology as part of Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Volyn restoration remains relevant
Even with more formal amber regulation, already degraded landscapes still require long-term restoration work.
Forest UA needs staged reporting
Seed banks, research and restoration planning are meaningful milestones even before planting begins.
Landscape priority 01
Khortytsia Island Nature Reserve
Khortytsia is one of the most important educational, cultural and ecological landscapes in Ukraine.
The original Forest UA project identified Khortytsia as a reserve landscape with exceptional ecological value. The island includes multiple Ukrainian landscape zones and a large number of higher plant species, including rare and protected flora. Under conditions of military aggression and repeated rocket attacks in the Zaporizhzhia region, the reserve faces ongoing ecological risk.
Forest UA therefore treats Khortytsia not only as a landscape to be restored later, but as a place where ecological memory must be protected now through seed collection, documentation, partner support and future restoration planning.
Project response
Collect and protect seed material for later restoration
Support safe-location conservation in Denmark or western Ukraine
Preserve restoration capacity until post-hostility implementation becomes possible
Frame biodiversity protection as part of wider community resilience
Volyn: forest loss after amber extraction
The second pillar of Forest UA focuses on forested areas in the Volyn region damaged by illegal amber mining. Earlier degradation led to forest loss, disappearing wetlands, river pollution, soil-layer damage and microclimatic changes. Even where replanting is attempted, restoration remains difficult because soil chemistry and ecological conditions have been altered.
This makes Volyn a restoration challenge that requires more than tree planting. It requires scientific work on soil recovery, species selection, seedling preparation and long-term rehabilitation strategy.
Project response
Support research on soil restoration and acid-balance recovery
Position ecological rehabilitation as a long-term partner project
Create a bank of tree seedlings for future reforestation
Develop restoration plans with scientific and forestry expertise
How Forest UA approaches restoration
Restoration is not treated as a one-step intervention. Forest UA uses a staged logic that protects biodiversity and restoration capacity first, then supports implementation when conditions are safe and appropriate.
How monitoring works
Monitoring at DIFS should be simple enough to use in practice, but strong enough to support accountability. The goal is not bureaucratic overload, but meaningful evidence.
Protect ecological memory
Collect seeds, preserve plant and species knowledge, document priorities and secure conservation pathways.
Support research and planning
Work with scientists, conservation experts and forestry partners to define safe and evidence-based recovery paths.
Prepare restoration materials
Develop seed and seedling banks, restoration materials and site-specific preparation for future implementation.
Restore responsibly
Implement restoration in a staged, safe and accountable way when ecological and security conditions allow it.
Evidence & reporting
Forest UA should be legible to funders and partners through visible, staged reporting rather than only through aspiration. Even before large-scale planting begins, there are meaningful forms of evidence that demonstrate progress and responsibility.
Partner actions
Document sponsor support, institutional collaboration, research input and local implementation coordination.
Conservation preparation
Show seed collection, seedling preparation, safe-location arrangements and restoration-readiness milestones.
Project updates
Publish updates on the status of planning, ecological priorities, partnerships and next stages of work.
Research support
Include site-related scientific inputs, restoration notes, ecological context and soil-recovery planning where relevant.
Public-interest communication
Keep the ecological dimension of Ukraine’s recovery visible for communities, supporters and institutional partners.
Future restoration readiness
Report on what has been preserved, what has been prepared, and what conditions are needed for later implementation.
Ways to support
Forest UA is designed for practical collaboration. Support does not have to begin with full restoration on site. It can begin by protecting biodiversity memory and preparing credible pathways for future recovery.
Sponsors & funders
- Support seed and seedling banking
- Fund research, documentation and restoration planning
- Contribute to conservation preparation and future reforestation pathways
- Enable public-interest communication and reporting
Researchers & technical partners
- Advise on species selection, ecological restoration and site recovery logic
- Support soil, forestry and biodiversity restoration planning
- Partner on safe-location conservation strategies
- Contribute to restoration-readiness frameworks and evidence packs
NGOs, municipalities & institutions
- Support awareness, outreach and educational framing
- Connect Forest UA to larger environmental recovery and ESG partnership work
- Help build long-term institutional credibility and collaboration networks
Public supporters
- Help sustain visibility for the project
- Amplify updates and partner calls
- Support the longer-term case for biodiversity recovery in Ukraine
How Forest UA fits the DIFS model
Forest UA is not outside the DIFS strategy. It complements it. Across the site, DIFS positions itself around environmental action, social wellbeing and responsible governance. Forest UA expresses that same full ESG logic in the context of Ukraine.
Environment
Nature restoration, ecological memory and biodiversity protection.
Social
Community resilience, solidarity and meaningful public-interest recovery.
Governance
Danish Institute for Sustainability — ESG-aligned programs combining environmental action, social wellbeing and responsible governance.
Contact
info@difs.dk
+45 31 42 51 61
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