Since February 24, 2022, Ecoaction has documented cases of potential environmental damage in Ukraine caused by the russian war. Together with Greenpeace, we created the “Environmental Damage Map” – out of almost 900 cases, 30 were chosen to showcase the most serious damage. All cases on the map were proven with satellite imagery and FIRMS data (NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), part of NASA’s Earth Observing System Data and Information System – EOSDIS) in some cases. Cases in the map are categorized by the type of damage and include a short description of each. However, the war continues, and experts in Ukraine continue to work on monitoring.
The map illustrates how the Russian invasion destroys Ukrainian nature. It impacts the landscape and habitats, missile hits cause wildfires, and often also soil and water pollution because of warfare actions. Fires on industrial objects because of shellings cause additional air, soil, and water pollution.
Greenpeace and Ecoaction stand on the position that the reconstruction of the towns in Ukraine should happen parallelly with the nature restoration. The suffering and destruction of nature in wartime is immense and will have long-term consequences on the life of all humans and ecosystems in the affected areas. This is why we need to act on mechanisms and allocate financial resources for nature restoration in Ukraine.
We also encourage to support Ukrainian NGOs that work on nature restoration and monitoring impact on the ground. Here is the list of them.
Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group
Ukrainian NGO aimed to consolidate efforts of experts and scientists to protect Biodiversity and support the network of Protected Areas in Ukraine.
During full-on invasion, UNCG is helping protected areas and sites, including two biosphere reserves, that are currently located in the zones of active hostilities, occupation, and humanitarian crisis.
Ecopark Osokorky
Ecopark Osokorky is Kyiv based Ukrainian NGO dedicated to preserving the unique wetland area, more that 2000 hectares big, in and around Osokorky district on the South-East of Kyiv, which is a home to numerous rare species of plants and over 170 bird species. The NGO has achieved many successful projects, such as establishing a protection status over almost 280 hectares of flooded meadows and lakes out of nearly 2000 hectares of endangered wetland territory.
Ecopark Osokorky is seeking for help and support on international level in promoting protection of Ukraine wetlands, especially ones that are neighboring big cities such as Kyiv or located in cities. We need to stop the development construction project lead by mayor of Kyiv, ex boxing champion – Vitali Klitschko and save unique wetlands of Osokorky area.
Support Ecopark Osokorky
Environment – People – Law (EPL)
EPL is a public interest environmental law organization which since 1994 has been protecting environmental rights, supporting, restoring and improving the environment and providing legal help in protecting other human rights, especially those which overlap with environmental rights.
Among other topics, EPL monitors and accesses damage caused by russian war in Ukraine since its beginning in 2014. After the full-scale invasion it continues this work not just in Lugans and Donetsk Oblasts, that were attacked first, but also in other regions of Ukraine, affected by the invasion.
Support EPL
Save Dnipro
The NGO has been actively fighting for clean air in Ukraine by encouraging polluters to be eco-conscious, developing a regulatory framework that improves chances of a clean environment and doing an independent air quality monitoring.
In spring 2022, Save Dnipro built a chatbot to make it easier to access data on air pollution and to report damages to the environmental cause by russia’s war, like wildfires at the frontline, the largest radiation monitoring map. They keep compiling this list and factchecking against open sources.
Support Save Dnipro
Ecoaction
Ecoaction (Ecodiya) is the biggest Ukrainian environmental NGO, focused on structural changes in country`s politics and economy to fight climate change and speed up transition to clean energy and sustainable agriculture.
Since the beginning of the full-scale war Ecoaction monitoring the cases of russian aggression that might be harmful for the environment to highlight the impact on nature. Ecoaction also supports research of the impacts – in 2022 we analyzed the damage done to Ukrainian soils and ways to restore it. They are planning to continue research impact of the war on the environment. The team now focuses on green recovery and works on incorporating sustainable principles (including renewable energy, climate neutrality, land conservation etc.) into national and local recovery plans and projects.
Support Ecoaction