Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work Group
Seeking solutions through information sharing about the environmental impacts of the war. UWEC Work Group.
After the start of the war, the World Bank, the EU, the UN and the government of Ukraine introduced a series of reports to assess damage and recovery needs (RDNA – Rapid Damage and Needs Assessments). These documents combine data on destruction with estimates of reconstruction financing; their environmental component raises concerns. The latest version,…
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Full-scale war has significantly increased the ecological risks facing the Black Sea marine mammals. Today, three species inhabit the region: the bottlenose dolphin, the common dolphin, and the porpoise. As apex predators, they are particularly vulnerable to pollution and ecosystem changes. Historically, these populations have already suffered from hunting, unsustainable coastal development and invasive species….
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The Kreminski Forests National Park in the Luhansk region has been virtually destroyed as a result of the fighting. Established in 2019, this park was the region’s only national park and one of the largest forest areas in eastern Ukraine. The Kreminski Forests were a unique natural phenomenon. It was an island of boreal forests…
Read More “Kreminski Forests National Park in the Luhansk region devastated by the war” »
A new assessment of the environmental and climate impacts of the war in Ukraine reveals far-reaching consequences. Over four years of full-scale invasion, CO2 emissions totaled 311 million tons—equivalent to France’s total annual emissions and half of Germany’s annual emissions—and are estimated to have caused nearly $57 billion in climate damage. Of these, 114 million…
Read More “Carbon dioxide emissions from the war in Ukraine grew by 75 million tons” »
In January 2026, the Russian government announced the creation of the “Velykyi Luh” National Park in the occupied territory of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The new nature reserve covers an area of approximately 16,700 hectares and completely overlaps with the boundaries of the Ukrainian national park of the same name. The park includes the former territories of…
Read More “Russia establishes “Velykyi Luh” National Park in occupied Zaporizhzhia” »
An analysis of satellite imagery conducted by McKenzie Intelligence Services at the request of Greenpeace Ukraine in February 2026 revealed intensification of the militarization of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Construction of new military facilities and anti-drone fortifications has been observed on the plant’s grounds. Satellite data shows that the cooling pond’s surface area has…
When we visualize the war in Ukraine, the images that usually come to mind are kinetic: tanks rolling across plains, missile strikes on apartment blocks, and drone warfare in the skies. However, a new academic study published in International Affairs reveals a quieter, yet equally deadly front line: the problem of food safety and the…
The war in Ukraine has opened a new and alarming chapter in the history of modern conflicts, where natural resources have ceased to be merely the backdrop of hostilities and have become direct participants in the tragedy. A new study by scholars from the Netherlands, the United States, and Iran convincingly shows how hydropolitics –…
In early March 2026, apocalyptic scenes unfolded in Tehran, Iran. Following intense airstrikes on Iranian oil refineries and fuel depots, the capital was shrouded in thick, toxic smog. When soot, sulfur compounds and heavy metals released into the air by the fires entered the cyclone’s path, “black acid rain” fell on the city. Local residents…
We have already covered how, since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russian propaganda has tried to frighten the world with stories about “American biolabs” in Ukraine. From UN podiums and television screens, Russian officials seriously spoke about infected birds, “ethnically targeted” pathogens, and even combat mosquitoes allegedly aimed at Russians. At the time, these…