Ecological conditions in Donetsk area

Industrial development of Donbass has led to its ecological "overload": the Donetsk area is high on the list in Europe and the first place in Ukraine on level of degradation of environment. The territory of area during industrialization has appeared almost completely involved in economic circulation. By 1991 the prirodno-reserved fund of Donetsk area made only 0,6 % of its territory (at the European criteria not less than 5 %).

Dynamics of pollution

Level of harmful emissions in atmosphere has a little decreased in 1990th years: if in 1990 the volume of industrial emissions in atmosphere the area enterprises has made 2,5 million tons of harmful substances in 1996 — already 1,88 million т that is connected, first of all, with reduction of industrial production of area.

On years dynamics of emissions looks as follows:

1985 — 3 205,2 thousand т (or 26,4 % общеукраинского volume of pollution);

1990 — 2 500,0 thousand т;

1992 — 2 379,3 thousand т (or 27,6 %);

1994 — 2 093,1 thousand т (or 33,8 %);

1996 — 1 882,6 thousand т (or 39,5 %);

1998 — 1 561,0 thousand т (or 37,6 %);

1999 — 1 588,2 thousand т (or 38,6 %);

2000 — 1 589,9 thousand т (or 40,2 %);

2001 — 1 588,7 thousand т (or 39,2 %).

Structure of pollution

Most "polluting" are following branches of the heavy industry of area:

Iron and steel industry — 33,3 %;

The coal industry — 31,9 %;

Power industry — 30,8 %;

Transport — 0,6 %;

Building — 0,3 %;

Agriculture — 0,03 %.

Thus more than 40 % of volume of harmful emissions are necessary on 3 power stations and 4 metal works of area:

The Mariupol metallurgical industrial complex of a name of Ilyich — 11,2 %;

Kurahovsky state district power station — 7,7 %;

Uglegorsk state district power station — 7,1 %;

Old Beshevsky state district power station — 6,3 %;

Metallurgical industrial complex "Azovstal" — 5,7 %;

Enakievsky metal works — 2,7 %;

Makeevsky metallurgical industrial complex of a name of Kirov — 1,5 %.

Cities with the greatest quantity of a harmful waste thrown out in atmosphere (2003):

Mariupol — 401,6 thousand т;

Donetsk — 161,1 thousand т;

Kurahovo (Marinsky area) — 120 thousand т;

Makeyevka — 112,3 thousand т;

a New World (Old Beshevsky area) — 100 thousand т;

Enakievo — 78,2 thousand т;

Gorlovka — 48,1 thousand т;

Krasnoarmeysk — 39,3 thousand т;

Avdeevka — 32,9 thousand т.

Nature protection actions

In 1990 the area public began to show special attention to environmental problems of Donbass: the network of prirodno-reserved objects is expanded, for example, the national natural park «Sacred Mountains» in a flood plain of Severski Donets on February, 13th, 1997 is created, a number of nature protection actions at area leading enterprises is spent.

There are 3 branches of the Ukrainian steppe natural reserve:

«Homutovsky steppe»,

«Stone Tombs»,

«Cretaceous flora».

National natural parks

«Sacred Mountains».

Botanical gardens

Donetsk botanical garden.

Regional landscape parks

«A Donetsk range»,

"Zuevsky",

"Kleban-bull",

«Меотида»,

«Half-Ovetsky steppe».

Wildlife preserves

"Velikoanadolsky" (wood),

«A Belosarajsky plait» (landscape),

"Berdyansk" (wood),

«Gektovaja a beam» (landscape),

«Bakai of the Curve plait» (ornithological),

«Jalanchaksky бакаи» (ornithological),

"New Selkovsky" (энтомологический),

"Old Mihajlovsky" (энтомологический),

Botanical nature sanctuaries

«A beam Bitter»,

"Natural boundary Grabovoe",

«A Majaksky summer residence»,

"Natural boundary Vasilevka",

«Natural boundary Wood on a granite».

Zoological parks

Dokuchaevsky zoo,

Donetsk city aquarium.