From 6 until 12 September 2009 Nataliya Stupak, a researcher at Ecologic Institute, organized and coordinated the  workshop "Developing multi-level and decentralized implementation capacity for natural resource management and environmental policies: A contribution to polycentric governance in an emerging democracy", which took place in Kiev, Ukraine.

The objectives of the workshop were to attract attention to environmental problems in the Ukraine and discuss the advantages and the potential for multi-level decentralized management of natural resources.

The workshop was targeted at the young researchers and teachers at Ukrainian universities and involved participants from the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Simferopol Agricultural University, as well as representatives of the Ukrainian NGOs.

The event was also well attended by PhD students from Poland and Germany working on projects related to environmental and natural resources.

Over the course of the workshop lectures were given by German, Polish and Ukrainian experts who discussed a range of theoretical and practical issues. In particular, Prof. Hagedorn (Germany) and Dr. Dirimanova (Bulgaria) reviewed the basics of Institutional and Resource Economics with a particular focus on the relationship between natural and human-made systems. Dr. Otto (Poland) discussed the problems of multi-level natural resource governance in Central and Eastern Europe and the potential for cooperative movement on the example of Poland. Also on the example of Poland Dr. Matczak (Poland) shared the experience of Central European countries in the development of agricultural and rural institutions in the light of joining the European Union. The Ukrainian lecturers Prof. Maksin, Dr. Tokhna and Dr. Rogach talked about the problems with water and soil resources faced by Ukraine, and the adaptation of Ukrainian environmental legislation to the EU regulations.

The workshop closed with a discussion on the potential of multi-level management of natural resources in the Ukraine and obstacles to its implementation.

The event was financed by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in the framework of special program “Support of Democracy in Ukraine”. The project was prepared by the Division of Resource Economics at the Humboldt University of Berlin in cooperation with the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine.