On July 23, 2026, the SFI project, with the support of Ukrderzhlisproekt, held a round table “The state and directions of FMP development in Ukraine, taking into account the German experience”. The round table was attended by about 60 experts and specialists from Ukraine, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Lithuania, a number of Ukrainian and European institutions and organizations. The event is a continuation of the project’s activities to share experience on modern approaches and to improve FMP in Ukraine.
Viktor Melnychenko, General director of Ukrderzhlisproekt, presented the state and tasks of FMP and National Forest Inventory in Ukraine in the context of European integration, martial law and post-war recovery considering requirements from climate change. Among the key challenges he identified staffing shortages, fragmentation of functions between institutions, outdated data, insufficient digitalization and the need to meet international forest reporting obligations. Melnychenko outlined the concept for the creation of a single centre of competence in the field of FMP, the introduction of a modern state forest cadastre, forest monitoring using remote sensing, and a new model of FMP organization. The implementation of the proposed measures should ensure full compliance with European standards and increase the transparency of forest management.
International short-term expert of the SFI-Project Dirk-Roger Eisenhauer presented a vision for the modernization of FMP systems, taking into account the German experience. He put emphasis on the transition from predominantly operational forest management planning to strategic forest management planning focused on the long-term conservation of ecosystem services, the development of the bioeconomy, climate resilience and functional biodiversity. Eisenhauer emphasized the need to create a modern national competence centre for forest monitoring and forest information, the development of digital geographic information systems, the introduction of remote sensing, open geoportals and the market of professional FMP services. “Modern FMP requires a strong partnership with all actors in the forestry sector: forest policy makers, administration, forest management, forestry science and the broader forestry interested public. Any FMP strategy needs a transparent collaboration with all these.“
According to the participants of the round table, the concept of forming the necessary competencies of FMP in accordance with current and future challenges of forestry management is an important element that needs to be implemented in Ukraine.
In particular, Ihor Buksha, URIFFM, expressed his opinion on the need to separate the centere of the national forest inventory into a separate organization, and create an information model of forestry data, the functioning of which would meet the information needs of forest management, regardless of the future organizational structure.
The SFI National Project Coordinator Vitaliy Storozhuk drew attention to the fact that modern challenges related to the lack of budget funding weaken the opportunities for effective state supervision of forestry management in the process of forest management planning, but at the same time provide certain opportunities for the formation of the proper cost of FMP to ensure their comprehensive and efficient implementation.
Summing up, Syman Jurk, Executive Manager of the SFI project, emphasized the importance of the discussion on FMP as a key factor of effective administration, and expressed his conviction that it is necessary to continue working on the formation of a conceptual vision for the development of forest planning and the development of broad relevant competencies.
