Prosecutors Take Kyiv Council to Court to Protect Capital's Valuable Green Spaces

The Status of Kyiv's Protected Natural Areas

According to Прокуратура Київ: The Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office has filed a lawsuit with the Kyiv District Administrative Court, demanding that valuable natural areas in the capital be granted official status as protected nature reserves. According to prosecutors, the Kyiv City Council has failed to resolve this issue for over 30 years. The list of territories in question was originally approved to comply with a 1994 decree issued by the President of Ukraine. This legal action highlights a long-standing conflict between environmental protection and urban development priorities in the capital.

The court has already initiated proceedings in five cases related to these areas. Among them is the 'Nyvka' site, a forest-park zone featuring the Nyvka River and a cascade of ponds covering 497.5 hectares. Starting in 2024, a case concerning Dolobetskyi Island, spanning 149.5 hectares, will also be heard in a first-instance court. Previously, prosecutors successfully sued to compel the City Council to address the status of 'Kristerova Hill,' a reserved territory of 17.5 hectares, but the council is currently appealing that decision.

Natural Areas Awaiting Protected Status

Other natural territories requiring designation as protected nature reserve objects include:

• Lake Vyrlytsia (120 hectares)
• Chortoryi Tract (20 hectares)
• Navadnytskyi Park (14.68 hectares)
• Trukhaniv Island (452.6 hectares)
• Kyoto Park (10.83 hectares)

The Prosecutor's Office stresses the urgent need to resolve the status of these territories to ensure their preservation and legal protection.

This prosecutorial initiative underscores the critical importance of safeguarding the capital's natural areas, which hold significant ecological and cultural value for the city's residents.

The issue of protected area status is central to the development of environmental policy in Ukraine, as the protection of these zones is vital for preserving biodiversity and ecosystems. The City Council's prolonged inaction on this matter raises serious questions about the effectiveness of local natural resource management.