The Chornobyl Reserve and the University of Fukushima begin joint research

Within the framework of the Agreement on Scientific Cooperation between the National Corporation of the University of Fukushima (Japan) and the Chornobyl Radiation and Environmental Biosphere Reserve, works for the environmental rehabilitation of the radioactive contaminated areas of the exclusion zone will be carried out. In particular, this will be works to improve radiation and ecological monitoring of the environment and legislation in Ukraine.

«Ukraine and Japan successfully cooperate in the field of overcoming the consequences of accidents at the NPPs from 2015 within the SATREPS program. Establishing on the territory of the exclusion zone of the Chornobyl Reserve opens further opportunities for scientists to conduct research, since the scheme of organization of work in the protected areas is more understandable for the international community. Today I am pleased to announce that the Reserve is beginning to join the SATREPS program and the first joint project of the Chornobyl Reserve and the University of Fukushima will be funded by this program», – said the Head of the State Agency of Ukraine for the Exclusion Zone Management Vitaly Petruk.

The new Ukrainian-Japanese project will help identify areas for reorganization of the exclusion zone based on an improved radiation and ecological monitoring system for the exclusion zone and adjacent populated territories.

According to the acting Director of the Chornobyl Radiation and Environmental Biosphere Reserve Taras Melnychuk, the main object of research will become a cooler, drawdown of which attracts the attention of many scientists, as well as flora and fauna near it. The best geobotanists, radiobiologists and zoologists of the Reserve together with Japanese colleagues will conduct a series of studies, and based on the results it will be possible to make forecasts of environmental changes with further drawdown of the reservoir-cooler.

The results of the scientists work will be the basis for the development of recommendations for changes in the legislative framework of Ukraine for restoration of radioactive contaminated areas and reorganization of the exclusion zone.

State Agency of Ukraine for the Exclusion Zone Management