Ukrainian lawyer wins environmental prize for efforts to protect the Danube

Ukrainian lawyer Olya Melen has won this year’s prestigious Goldman Environmental prize for her work in the Danube Delta. The prize went to Olya Melen for successfully using her legal skills to temporarily halt construction of a massive canal that would have cut through the heart of the Danube Delta. This delta is one of Europe’s most valuable wetlands, home to a rich diversity of flora and fauna, including the 300 species of birds, including the globally threatened Dalmatian pelican, and 45 freshwater fish species.