Identification and coverage of abuses and corruption in the use of natural resources through the development of nature expert-journalistic cooperation (pilot project)
Identification and coverage of abuses and corruption in the use of natural resources through the development of nature expert-journalistic cooperation (pilot project)
International Renaissance Foundation (IRF)
2020-2021
“Our money.Lviv ” (NGO “Lviv Group”)
According to Interpol, environmental crime is the third most profitable in the world. Most of it, timber crimes, bring in $ 51 billion to $ 152 billion a year from criminal gangs. However, corruption and disturbances in Ukraine’s forests are not just illegal logging. These include violations of the exploitation of the forest, water and land resources, poaching, non-compliance with legislation in protected areas, and the creation of advantages for certain legal entities associated with officials in terms of access to resources, avoidance or lack of adequate punishment for these crimes, etc. Despite some democratic changes in Ukraine, most legislative mechanisms are weak and unable to withstand corruption schemes. As a result of the weakness of state institutions, independent monitoring by civil society and journalists on the use of natural resources has proved to be largely an effective mechanism for combating abuses and corruption. To effectively cover corruption, journalists need to cooperate with the nature experts and legal analysis of the situation, in turn, the nature experts – needs journalistic investigations and quality communication. The proposed pilot project is an attempt to develop the capacity of expert-journalistic cooperation – investigative journalists of the site “Our money. Lviv “(NGO” Lviv Group “) will join forces with the nature expert organization of the NGO” Danube-Carpathian Programme “.