Main foundations of the afforestation strategy in Ukraine

Abstract

Afforestation is a significant component of the state strategy of environment conservation, rational use and increasing Ukraine's natural resource potential, solving problems of its ecological and food security. Implementation of the afforestation strategy in Ukraine will increase the sustainability of the forest component of agricultural landscapes; significantly reduce soil erosion and degradation processes; preserve and enrich biological and landscape diversity; accelerate the processes of natural restoration of agricultural landscapes; to optimize the forest-meliorate component of ecological and landscape arrangement of agro-landscapes; increase forest cover; ensure filtration and purification of surface runoff from harmful ingredients; improve the ameliorative properties of shelterbelts ; increase crop yields; provide additional carbon sequestration that will mitigate climate changes; to increase the efficiency of state environmental programs implementation. For the successful implementation of strategic tasks at the legislative level, it is necessary: to free the land transferred for afforestation from paying compensation for losses to the local budget, and to land users from paying tax on the land if it is conserved for environmental use; provide for compensation for losses of land users' incomes from the shortage of agricultural products on lands transferred for the protective afforestation, before they begin to perform protective functions; introduce a reduction in the land tax on agricultural land on which afforestation is carried out in the volumes stipulated by the project for the period until the introduction of protective forest plantations into operation; to abolish value added tax and profit on additional products received as a result of positive effect of protective forest plantations restoration. For effective management of the implementation of afforestation measures it is necessary to prepare the appropriate staffing with the formation of regional forest management services. It is needed to restore the training of specialists in agroforestry in the higher educational institutions, to provide retraining of managerial and engineering personnel. Implementation of the main strategic areas of afforestation in Ukraine in general will increase the ecological and economic potential of agricultural landscapes, diversify agro-industrial production, and improve the living conditions and production activity of the local population. It would be provided a comprehensive approach to the creation of the necessary area of protective forest plantations and proper maintenance of existing plantations; there will be a significant improvement in the microclimatic conditions of the reclaimed territories, increase the productivity of agro-landscapes, prevention of climate changes. The annual estimated afforestation cost related activities is estimated at approximately UAH 3 billion. Along with this, the loss of net annual income from agricultural production, due to huge plowing of the territory, the lack of forests and protective forest plantations amounts to almost $3 billion, that far exceeding the annual cost of afforestation.

Keywords

• protective forest plantations
• forest cover
• agro-landscape
• erosion
• amelioration impact
• legislation
• staffing