On Thursday, July 30, the Crimean Tatar Resource Center with the support of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in Ukraine held the XIV session of the Crimean Discussion Club. As part of the webinar on the topic “The ecological crisis in the occupied Crimea in the context of the European security system” experts outlined the scale of the ecocide on the peninsula and worked out appropriate recommendations for the Ukrainian authorities.
The speakers at the event were:
– Eskender Bariiev – Head of the Board of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, member of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people (moderator);
– Irуna Starovytska – Project Manager of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Subregion Ukraine and Belarus (welcoming speech);
– Ievgen Khlobystov – Doctor of Economics, Academician ;
– Viacheslav Potapenko – Doctor of Economics, Ph.D., Head of the Institute of Green Economy;
– Volodymyr Lupatsii – political scientist, co-founder of the National Platform “Dialogue for Peace and Safe Reintegration”;
– Borys Babin – Doctor of Law, Professor, Expert of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center;
– Tetiana Tymochko – Chairman of the All-Ukrainian EcoLeague.
The participants discussed the following topics:
1. Plunder of natural resources;
2. Destruction of the reserve fund by the occupants;
3. Growth of environmental pollution;
4. Intervention of the occupants into natural ecosystems;
5. How does militarization affect the environment;
6. The ecological crisis in the occupied Crimea as a necessary condition for the Crimean policy of Ukraine.
In their speeches, the experts outlined the scale of the ecological crisis in the occupied Crimea, in particular, they drew attention to the destruction of ecosystems on the territory of the peninsula, the use of water resources, pollution of water areas of the Crimea, etc. One of the main problems contributing to ecocide on the peninsula, according to experts, are systemic military exercises and the militarization of Crimea by the Russian Federation.
In addition, the participants called on the Ukrainian authorities to take special control over the situation with the environmental crisis in Crimea and to strengthen their position regarding the protection of the natural resources of the peninsula in specialized international organizations and structures.
In the framework of the XIV session of the CDC, experts have developed recommendations for the Ukrainian authorities, which will be sent to the relevant state authorities. They will also be published on the CTRC website.
The event was held with the support of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in Ukraine.