Air quality monitoring in the Donetsk region

19.04.21

Did you know that in the Donetsk region there is a state system that monitors the atmospheric air 24/7? According to the Ukrainian Scientific Research Institute of Ecological Problems (USRIEP), the state of the environment is monitored by stationary posts and analytical laboratories of three subjects of the regional monitoring system:

Donetsk Regional Center for Hydrometeorology (DRCH); It monitors the state of the air with two analytical laboratories and a stationary network of 11 posts (5 in Mariupol, 4 in Kramatorsk, and 2 in Slovyansk). The stationary post for Kramatorsk near the village of Yasnohirka is not working and needs to be restored. The following indicators are measured: dust, levels of sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, phenol, ammonia, formaldehyde, heavy metals.

State enterprise “Donetsk Regional Laboratory Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine”. Monitors the atmospheric air (content of harmful substances) in the Donetsk region in places of residence and recreation of the population and in the natural areas of resorts at 5 stationary posts. The following parameters are measured there: dust, levels of sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen dioxide, phenol, soot, formaldehyde, lead, cadmium, zinc, cobalt, manganese, copper, chromium, iron, benz (a) siren.

Communal enterprise “Directorate of capital construction of administrative and residential buildings” of the Donetsk Regional State Administration. Includes 7 observation points in Kramatorsk, Mariupol (2), Mykolayivka, Bakhmut, Kurakhove, Novoluhanske, where the carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, ozone, aerosol particles, phenol, formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, toluene, toluene and toluene levels are measured. Monitoring of the impact on the state of atmospheric air of industrial emissions of 26 enterprises is carried out by the 50 automated indicator observation points in 10 cities: Kramatorsk, Mariupol, Kurakhovo, Mykolayivka, Druzhkivka, Kostiantynivka, Pokrovska, Volnovakha, Bakhmut, Novoluhanske, Soledar, Mykolayiv.

Monitoring and the collection of information on the air quality is not carried out according to European standards, as it should have been according to the commitments made by Ukraine in the field of emission control. As of today, such data do not allow specialists to get a complete picture of the risks associated with air pollution.

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25.03.21

On March 19 and 24, 2021, the Right to Protection (R2P) held webinars on the Protection Mainstreaming for the representatives of public authorities in Ukraine.

The events were joined by the representatives of the Popasna Raion State Administration, Toretsk Civil-Military Administration, Education Departments, Primary Care Centers, Public Information Units, Police Departments and Child Protection Offices.

Webinars: «Practice of application of the international standards in civil protection: problems and opportunities» Вебінари «Практика застосування міжнародних стандартів у цивільному захисті: проблеми та можливості»

During the webinars best practices, positive experiences, as well as the existing challenges and issues in the field of public protection were discussed.

In particular, participants of the online events had the opportunity to learn about:

How to be better prepared for emergencies?
How to ensure protection for the most vulnerable groups?
How to organize efficient interaction between different agencies in a crisis context?

Webinars were held within the framework of «Reducing Risk Vulnerability in Eastern Ukraine» Project which is funded by USAID (in particular, by its Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, BHA), and has been implemented since 2019 by 3P Consortium led by ACTED.

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02.02.21

Experts of the Right to Protection CF (R2P), within the framework of the Prepare Prevent Protect (3P) Consortium (ACTED, IMPACT Initiatives, R2P, the Danish, Austrian and Ukrainian Red Cross Societies) jointly with the Ministry for Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine have prepared the recommendations for public authorities on the protection of the population of eastern Ukraine from the risks of environmental and industrial-driven disasters.

The document contains important and detailed information addressed to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine, the Ministry for Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine and the State Emergency Service on risks prevention.

Due to the destruction of many industrial and residential buildings as a result of the hostilities in the Donbas in Ukraine, there is a constant risk of emergencies that pose a threat to the population and to the environment.

Most of the risks are associated with the presence of a large number of flooded and semi-flooded mines in the Donbas, which in turn are connected by a complex underground system with other mines both in Non-Government and Government-Controlled Areas. Due to the constant movement of groundwater, the risks of flooding of mines and contamination of the sources of clean water increase significantly. This causes irreparable damage to the flora and fauna of the rivers that enter the Siversky Donets basin.

You can download or view the document in .pdf format:

TECHNICAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DISASTER RISK AND CIVILIAN VULNERABILITY REDUCTION IN EASTERN UKRAINE

ТЕХНІЧНІ РЕКОМЕНДАЦІЇ ЩОДО ЗМЕНШЕННЯ РИЗИКУ КАТАСТРОФ ТА ВРАЗЛИВОСТІ НАСЕЛЕННЯ В СХІДНІЙ УКРАЇНІ

3P Consortium was formed in 2019 by the group of international and Ukrainian NGOs to reduce disaster risk vulnerability in eastern Ukraine. 3P Members of the Consortium are united by their desire to Prepare, Prevent and Protect civilian populations and critical service systems in Ukraine from the risks of natural, ecological and industrial disasters

The recommendations were developed under the project “Reducing Disaster Risk Vulnerability in Eastern Ukraine” with the support of the European Union and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid. Experts on ecology and environment Yermakov Viktor Mykolayovych and Luniova Oksana Volodymyrivna were directly involved in the development.

Any views expressed in this document should in no way be taken to be an official position of the European Union. The European Commission is not responsible for any use of the information contained therein.

19.01.21

How to reduce the risk of emergencies in Eastern Ukraine?

Members of 3P Consortium know how! Being established in 2019 specifically for this purpose by the group of Ukrainian and international non-governmental organizations: ACTED, IMPACT Initiatives, Right to Protection CF, Danish, Austrian and Ukrainian Red Cross, 3P works everyday to reduce environmental and man-made risks and to prevent emergencies. Project is funded by the European Union within the framework of Disaster Risk Reduction in Eastern Ukraine project

It is high time to tell about main achievements of the project!

Click to download the 5th edition of Prevent Prepare Protect Consortium newsletter in English

04.12.20

Stateless persons are the people who are not recognized by any country in the whole world. However, we should bear in mind the distinction between officially recognized stateless persons and those who are not registered at all. Undocumented stateless persons face serious problems: they cannot officially work, enter into contracts, buy property, or just to live a usual life, like everybody else.

In 2020, several important steps in this case were taken by the government of Ukraine, one of which was the adoption of the Law of Ukraine «On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Concerning Recognition as a Stateless Person». Unfortunately, despite the fact that the law is already in force, it is still in the process of being enacted. The second problem is with the draft law «On Administrative Procedure», which also regulates the issue: it needs to be substantially finalized before preparation for the second reading.

We invite You to watch the video developed and created by the Right to Protection CF with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), where all the key moments on the recognition as a stateless person in Ukraine are mentioned.

Particularly, the video provides answers to the following questions:

Who the procedure concerns;
Where to apply for the recognition as stateless person;
What the determination procedure will be like;
What are the grounds for denial for a recognition;
Which documents will confirm the status of the person;
Rights and opportunities of a stateless person;

(IN UKRAINIAN) Stateless persons in Ukraine in 2020: what will change after the enactment of legislative amendments

The contents of this material are the sole responsibility of the Right to Protection CF and cannot be used to reflect the views of UNHCR.

02.12.20

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to convert our communication with our beneficiaries into the remote mode.

In a short period of time we had to master many modern online tools, because people’s need for our help has not disappeared. And we are very glad that within the training course «Webinars: tips for human rights activists» we were able to share with the participants all our knowledge and experiences, in particular, on the organization of webinars!

Watch the video below where our colleagues Daria Lysenko and Anna Bukreeva share on the results of this online course

The training course was implemented with the support of the Norwegian Refugee Council in Ukraine (NRC) and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

01.12.20

Right to Protection CF continues educational webinars on Protection Mainstreaming. Recently on 26th and 30th of November two such webinars were held.

Representatives of 8th and 23th Fire-fighting Units in Donetsk region, officers of Child Protection Service of Bakhmut raion (in particular, Svitlodar City Council), Svitlodarsk Hospital, Territorial Center for Social Services in Bakhmut raion, Head of Zaytsevo Civil-Military administration. From the local level, representative of Myronivka village council took part in a webinar.

These events were held by “Right to Protection” as a partner in “Reducing Risk Vulnerability in Eastern Ukraine” Project. This Project is funded by USAID – US Agency for International Development (in particular, by USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, BHA), and has been implemented since 2019 by 3P Consortium led by ACTED.

#ProtectionMainstreaming #BHA #3PConsortium

20.11.20

“I still can’t believe it’s all real,”
– our beneficiary said when she finally received her dream birthday present – a passport of a citizen of Ukraine.

Liuba is 37 years old. She was born and raised in a large family of Roma ethnicity. The family lived in hardships and often moved from place to place, later settling in a permanent residence in the Novovodolazk district of Kharkiv region. When Lyuba grew up, she was married in accordance with Roma tradition. The woman became stateless because her parents did not deal with the documents issue. Liuba gave birth to five children, but the two older ones were taken away from the woman due to lack of documents.

The woman’s plans for life changed dramatically when her parents’ house suddenly burned down. Unable to withstand such a blow, Liuba’s father died of a heart attack. She was forced to return to the Kharkiv region to be able to support her mother. All this time Liuba tried to get a passport and repeatedly applied to the local “passport office”, but to no success.

Our colleagues learned about Liuba’s story from the partner organization Depol Ukraine CF. Their representatives appealed to the Kharkiv office of the Right to Protection CF to help the woman obtain a passport.

R2P lawyer made number of inquiries to the state institutions to gather all the necessary documents to confirm Liuba’s citizenship. Under the current law, a woman’s nationality depended on the place of residence of her and / or her parents. In order to prove the fact that the family lived in their native village in 1991, a request was made to the village council.

After that, the citizenship of Liuba’s parents was confirmed and it was agreed with the leadership of the State Migration Service of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region to prove the personality of Liuba with the help of only one witness. And it was the woman’s sister Raya, who came from the Kirovohrad region with a 3 month-old child to help her sister with citizenship. However, discrepancies were found in the sisters’ birth certificates, which the lawyer had to correct. Thanks to the help of employees of the Kholodnohirs’kyy district of the State Register of the Acts of a Civil Status in Kharkiv the documents were processed as soon as possible.

In the end, the State Migration Service of Ukraine in Kharkiv region issued a final positive decision on the identification of Liuba, as well as issued the passport of a citizen of Ukraine for the first time in her life. In fact, on the eve of her 38th birthday, Liuba’s most cherished dream – to receive the passport finally came true.

Now it’s time for the Liuba’s children and her youngest sister (in whose case the Kharkiv Court of Appeal issued a positive decision) to receive the documents. But that’s a whole ‘nother story.

19.11.20

On November 18 Right to Protection CF with the support of the U-LEAD with Europe Program organized an event in the format of an online consultation “How can amalgamated territorial communities (hromadas) receive financial assistance (subvention) from the state to provide housing for internally displaced persons?”

The event was attended by representatives of 50 united territorial communities of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions. During the consultation, the existing opportunities for international technical assistance for socio-economic development of united territorial communities in Ukraine in above mentioned regions were also discussed.

As been noted by Myroslava Sushchenko, the Head of the offices of the Right to Protection CF in Dnipro and Zaporizhia, decided to organize this consultation event for the members of amalgamated hromadas, who have repeatedly approached our specialists for information on existing financial opportunities to provide housing for IDPs, which exist primarily through the receipt of a subvention from the state to local budgets.

SPEAKERS AND TOPICS

Maksym Alekseenko-Lemovsky, Chief Specialist of the Department for Formation and Implementation of Housing Policy of the Ministry for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine told about the procedure and conditions for providing a subvention from the state budget to local budgets.
Myroslava Sushchenko spoke on how to develop and approve the Local Targeted Program for Housing for IDPs and on the procedure for establishing a temporary housing fund, providing it for the use of IDPs, purchasing apartments on the secondary market and providing migrants with housing on financial leasing terms.
Vartan Muradyan, a field adviser at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Slovyansk told about their work.
Markiyan Zhelyak, Public Engagement Specialist of the Emergency Loan Program for Ukraine’s Reconstruction Program, spoke in detail about the achievements and results of implemented projects in Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia oblasts, as well as future potential UNDP projects.
Anna Aladzhalyan, Chief Community Development Consultant of the Eastern Regional Office of the Ukrainian Social Investment Fund introduced the participants to the projects and activities of the USIF.

“Every amalgamated hromada has the opportunity to receive financial assistance from the state to purchase housing for IDPs. The main thing here is to set the right priorities, calculate your own strengths and write projects in proportion to the community’s capabilities in order to receive the appropriate subvention. For example, this year 10 apartments in Kramatorsk, 8 in Pokrovsk, and 1 house in Primorsk, Zaporizhia Oblast, were purchased at the expense of the subvention. It may be just one house, but it is still a step towards solving the housing problem of at least one socially vulnerable family of migrants. I urge communities to participate in the competition for a state subvention for socio-economic development of the territories, ”
– commented Ms. Myroslava.

USEFUL MATERIALS PRESENTED DURING THE EVENT:

HANDBOOK ON HOUSING PROGRAMS FOR INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS, REVIEW FOR MARCH 2020 (IN UKRAINIAN).

This guide provides an extensive overview of existing state and local housing programs in the housing sector. It will be useful for local governments, as it will allow them to analyze existing practices in the context of housing policy in all regions of Ukraine.

PACKAGE OF MODEL DOCUMENTS FOR LOCAL AUTHORITIES “THE INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS HOUSING PROGRAM” (IN UKRAINIAN).

A collection of model documents that includes various options and examples of legal regulation for the provision of IDPs’ housing rights. The collection was designed to facilitate the development of an appropriate documentation framework for communities that intend to implement programs to help address the housing problems of migrants.