Since February, the war in Ukraine has caused considerable human suffering. It has also presented the environment with unprecedented and long-term challenges.
On both fronts, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has resulted in massive damage and loss of life. While Ukraine has essentially become a dart board for Russian missiles, experts believe Russia's war on the country's environment should also be a subject of discussion.
It is unclear when the conflict will end, but experts believe that the mindless attacks seriously impact the Ukrainian environment. Scientists are growing increasingly concerned about the ecological implications of Ukraine's turmoil.
War on the Environment
Based on a June news release from the World Wildlife Fund, big military vehicles and explosives are causing habitat damage both inside and outside of protected areas. Furthermore, satellite data suggests fires caused by attacks have already compromised over 100,000 hectares of natural ecosystems.
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The State Forest Resources Agency of Ukraine has already recorded 78 times the number of fires that occurred during the same time period last year.
Also, according to Ukraine Environment officials, shelling, bombing, oil pollution, and military maneuvers have heavily impacted at least 900 protected areas covering 1.2 million hectares, or 30% of all protected areas in Ukraine. Some Emerald Network territories are under threat of total annihilation.
These are actually concerning figures. Thousands of fires were also reported across the country during months of continuous shelling, with the majority affecting large forest areas. According to experts, these protected sites could take many years to recover.
Setbacks on Environmental Initiatives
One of the most serious consequences of the war was the significant setback it caused to Ukraine's already existing environmental initiatives. With treaties reached in 2014, Ukraine has accelerated its efforts to address environmental challenges and begun the green transformation of its economic development, according to the OECD.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, this environmental progress has been attacked, dragging hopes for a green and sustainable Ukraine.
Additionally, the WWF points out that thousands of industrial plants, chemical factories, coal mines, and other facilities that create and store toxic waste have served as the foundation of Ukraine's heavy industry. Attacks directed at these plants could contaminate the air, water, and soil.
Speaking of which, nuclear energy experts fear that if the situation in Ukraine is not resolved, a new Chernobyl-like accident could happen soon. After learning of reports of shelling in the southeast of Ukraine, diplomats demanded an end to hostilities between Russian and Ukrainian forces so that UN inspectors could visit the nuclear power plant there.
This is especially critical as nuclear facilities like those in Zaporizhzhia are not built to withstand war.
What's Happening Now
According to reports, the Ukrainian government has already launched initiatives to establish a task force called the "National Council for Recovery from the War." This agency is said to be working on Ukraine's post-war recovery and development plan. All of these efforts remain hazy and in the shadows as violence still erupts near the Russian and Ukrainian borders.
OECD underscores the Ukrainian government's developing of a Post-war Recovery and Development Plan that aligns with a green economy and low-emission development principles.
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