Digital Platform for Ukrainian Forest Restoration: An Online Solution for Building Climate-Resilient Forests Created by WWF-Ukraine and SoftServe

WWF-Ukraine in partnership with IT company SoftServe has launched the Digital Platform for Ukrainian Forest Restoration — an innovative online tool designed to inspire and support public, business, and governmental efforts in restoring forests based on modern scientific principles.

The platform serves as a practical guide for those committed to responsible restorationforestation — taking into account safety, climate change, ecosystem dynamics, and socio-economic realities. It offers step-by-step action plans, science-based recommendations, accessible language, and answers to the fundamental question: what, where, and how to plant to ensure real benefits for nature, people, the country, and the climate.

“Ecosystem conservation preservation is becoming increasingly critical for Ukraine amid the significant challenges posed by climate change and the ongoing war. How do we create resilient sustainable forests backed by scientific data, research, and practical experimentation? This is the core value of the Platform — its scientific foundation. Science, timely decisions, and technology together form the winning formula we all need to embrace today to avoid losing time and to drive meaningful progress,” explains Tetiana Riabokin, Executive Director of WWF-Ukraine.

The Ukraine Forest Restoration Platform integrates data, scientific guidelines, and practical tools to support reforestation project planning. Through the platform, users can:

• Propose and identify areas suitable for forest restorationplanting.
• DAccess detailed instructions and scientific guidance on species selection and forest management.
• Estimate the carbon sequestration capture potential of newly planted forests over time.

The Platform was developed through SoftServe’s corporate pro bono program OpenTech. For SoftServe, this project represents another step in its commitment to environmental stewardship, complementing its internal efforts to reduce carbon emissions and environmental impact. The Platform team aims to expand the initiative by engaging more IT companies, research institutions, local communities, and businesses in partnership.

“The Ukraine Forest Restoration Platform is another milestone in our continued collaboration with WWF-Ukraine. We believe that forest restoration in Ukraine should focus not only on the number of trees planted but also on the quality of decisions behind them. This is a great example of how partnerships rooted in science, technology, and shared values can drive real change and help shape an environmentally responsible society,” says Yuliya Kuvitanova, Director of Sustainability at SoftServe.

The Lviv region was chosen as the pilot location for the Platform’s launch, known for its active civic engagement and strong interest in sustainable forest management.

“WWF-Ukraine’s initiative to create the Forest Restoration Platform is a compelling example of how modern digital technologies can serve as powerful tools in the environmental sector. By combining spatial data, scientific knowledge, and user-friendly digital solutions, we can now plan restoration forestation efforts at an entirely new level—taking into account climate, ecological, and social factors. We’re especially proud that Lviv region became the pilot site for this project, with support from SoftServe, a renowned Ukrainian IT company,” said Volodymyr Korda, Director of the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Lviv Regional State Administration.

The Platform is based on the principles of climate-smart and close-to-nature forestry, aligned with EU best practices. It avoids afforestation of areas that naturallypresented by  belong to other valuable ecosystems (such as steppes, meadows, or wetlands), prioritizes native tree species, excludes invasive species and monocultures, and promotes the creation of diverse and resilient forests.At the national level, this project will contribute to forming a coherent vision for forest recovery in line with the European Green Deal and the EU Forest Strategy for 2030, which recognize forests as essential allies in the fight against climate change.