stories from
the green heart
of europe
For Nature and People - for the Future
Last year served to emphasize the importance of our work and mission in our region of Central and Eastern Europe. In Hungary for example, a record drought cut harvests by as much as 90% in some parts of the country – a sign of things to come as decades of mismanagement of water resources and nature loss are compounded by climate change. In Ukraine, to take another example, the war was destructive to people but also to the environment on which they depend.
Nature is in crisis, exacerbated by climate change and the destruction wrought by us humans. The only, long-term solution to address these challenges is to work with nature, not against it. We must stop destroying nature and start to restore it – for our own sake, to safeguard our economies, health, and well-being. WWF has been working with authorities in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Ukraine to restore floodplains, i.e. to restore the ability of the land to absorb and hold water for the benefit of people and nature. In Ukraine, we are working with the government and donors to promote the restoration of damaged forests and ensure that investment in reconstruction is an investment in a better and sustainable future.
In these cases and many others, we are working across sectors and borders to facilitate solutions for a world where people live in harmony with nature. Because, we believe, together possible.
Sasha Bezuhanova
Chairperson, WWF-CEE
Andreas Beckmann
Regional CEO, WWF-CEE
Get to know the stories of the Green Heart of Europe
Sometimes reality is too complex. Stories give it a form.
- Jean Luc Godard
To know it is to love it. That’s the Green Heart of Europe, that beats within the nature of the central and eastern part of the continent. It’s one of the most spectacular biodiversity hotspots in Europe with significant importance for global conservation. From the Danube basin to the Carpathian Mountains the wilderness areas include some of the largest remaining virgin and natural forests. They are home to 2/3 of the European populations of bears, lynx, and wolves. The region boasts most of Europe’s last remaining intact rivers and wetlands. The Danube shelters the sturgeons that survived the end of the dinosaurs but now teeter on the edge of extinction.
We invite you to dive deep into our latest collection of stories from the Green Heart of Europe and learn more about the pulse of nature in this part of the world. WWF-CEE annual review will take you through a piece of our shared journey to a nature-positive future for our region and beyond.
