UzhNU is among this year's winners of Interreg NEXT Poland - Ukraine: new opportunities and their tools
Uzhhorod National University has won two projects that will be funded by the Interreg NEXT Poland - Ukraine Program .
Interreg NEXT Poland-Ukraine is one of the cross-border cooperation programs aimed at supporting neighborhood and development processes in the border area, in particular the Ukrainian-Polish border. The main priorities of the program are environment, health, tourism, cooperation, borders and accessibility. In a recent official announcement of the call results, the Monitoring Committee of the Program noted that projects that would primarily improve the quality of the natural environment in the border area between the two countries were approved for funding.
The environment was the focus of three projects submitted by Uzhhorod National University in partnership with public organizations of the region and partners from Poland, two of which were successful and will be implemented in the near future. The purpose of these projects is to develop, implement, and promote measures in the field of climate change, environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, and environmental infrastructure development. Both projects will concern the UzhNU Botanical Garden and the so-called “Shakhtyn Forest” as its component.
One of the winning projects, which is especially important for Uzhhorod National University and the city's public space in general, is the project “Water-Saving Solutions for Mitigating the Impact of Climate Change”, where UzhNU is the initiator and main partner. The project was prepared and written in partnership with Maria Skłodowska Curie University in Lublin (Poland).
The project focuses on climate change, the search for new, innovative solutions to adapt to the relevant dynamic conditions, and the development of recommendations to improve the efficiency of management decision-making in forestry and urban areas.
The main objectives and activities of the project are as follows:
For the first time in Ukraine, innovative solutions for the conservation of rain and meltwater in natural and urbanized ecosystems will be developed and tested in situ. These solutions will be scientifically substantiated, and the best of them will be recommended for management actions in forestry and urban areas;
a laboratory for climate research will be established at the Biology Faculty of UzhNU;
on the basis of the botanical gardens of UzhNU and the M. Skłodowska-Curie University of Lublin, educational centers for visitors on climate change and adaptation to climate change will be created. These centers will include special educational spaces for practical and educational classes, excursions, discussions, and film screenings. To create such a space in the UzhNU Botanical Garden, solar power generation technologies will be used;
a joint concept for the promotion and implementation of climate change adaptation measures in urban areas and private households will be developed;
special training programs will be developed for schoolchildren and students of the Faculty of Biology;
measures to adapt to climate change (collection and retention of rainwater using hydrophilic plants, vertical gardening, use of grass instead of mowed lawns in cities, use of photovoltaics for gazebos) will be implemented both in the Botanical Garden and in the courtyard of the Biology Faculty of UzhNU. A rainwater collection system and a reservoir for its storage will be created in the Botanical Garden on I. Olbracht street, which will serve as a habitat for aquatic plants and animals and will be used for irrigation.
The total budget of the project is 520,356.04 Euros (grant amount - 468,320.44 Euros, partner contribution - 52,035.60 Euros).
The winning projects also include the Carpathian Youth For Ecosmart Education project, which was developed under the leadership of the Transcarpathian Regional Development Agency and in partnership with the Uzhok National Nature Park and partners from the Republic of Poland. The aim of this project is to preserve the nature and biodiversity of the Carpathians through the development of environmental infrastructure in Poland and Ukraine and the introduction of specialized environmental education programs for primary and secondary school children on the basis of pilot secondary schools in the border regions of Ukraine. The specific objectives of the project are
creation of interactive educational eco-spaces in the Uzhok National Nature Park and the UzhNU Botanical Garden, eco-laboratories and interactive learning areas;
development and implementation of environmental education programs for different age groups that will emphasize the importance of green infrastructure, conservation, and pollution reduction. To achieve this goal, educational materials and interactive lessons, organized excursions, and hands-on projects will be created, which should have a constructive impact on understanding the role of green spaces, their positive impact on air quality, noise reduction, and overall environmental balance, especially in cities;
Raising environmental awareness among young people through cross-border interactive and educational environmental activities that can emphasize the importance of maintaining healthy green spaces in cities to improve air quality, temperature regulation, noise reduction, and overall urban vitality.
Within the framework of this project, cross-border forums for scientists and representatives of local governments, press conferences, eco-picnics will be held, and a photo album on the biodiversity of national parks will be developed and published. According to the project's work packages, it is planned to develop biodiverse educational routes, create a natural science exhibition center in the Uzhok National Nature Park, an exposition center at Uzhhorod National University, eco-classes in Uzhhorod schools, organize cross-border educational events for children from Ukraine and Poland, hold summer environmental camps, and a number of other interesting activities.
The total budget of the project is EUR 1,653499, of which EUR 919032 is the budget of partners from Zakarpattia.
The implementation of these projects will allow to involve a number of public institutions, the public of different age and professional categories in cooperation, to obtain not only short-term benefits in the form of implemented initiatives and activities, but also promising future results in the field of environmental conservation and protection.
