Donetsk, Jul 13 - DAN. DPR foresters and environmentalists met on Thursday to discuss the current condition of the Republic’s forest sector and prospects for restoring it. The discussion took place at the Donetsk Botanical Garden conference hall.
It was attended by People’s Council deputies Oleg Glebov and Alexander Yarovikov, State Committee for Land Resources representative Lidia Nesvit and chairmen of the State Committees for Environmental Policy and Natural Resources and Forestry and Game Management Roman Kishkan and Alexey Shebalkov.
“All the greening in Donetsk was done back in Soviet times, so some plant species reached their age limit and are in critical condition; they’ve withered or are infected and have to be immediately removed,” Shebalkov told Donetsk News Agency. “There are some 5,000 hectares of old or affected green areas in Donetsk. We plan to not restore, but also expand the green space.”
Only DPR-grown seedlings will be used in the new greening project. Ecologists and Botanical Garden experts will help with study and analysis of available vegetation.
Donetsk currently has 14 parks and 152 squares. Latest research recommends at least a 60-percent green space for industrialised cities. Donetsk’s green area only makes up 25 percent of overall city space at present.*jk