Dear Friends!
Two years have passed since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The war and occupation of Donbas and Crimea, however, began a decade earlier.
Naturally, such a protracted conflict negatively affects not only ecosystem protections, but also the development of civil society in the region. These last two years have been the most difficult, and an “East-West” confrontation may yet develop. Global human society has not known such a degree of tension since, perhaps, the Cold War. In reckoning with the full-scale invasion, the UWEC Work Group editorial team and our experts review the most significant, in their assessment, environmental consequences of the war:
War has a devastating impact on civil society and community initiatives. While civil society activists have demonstrated a high level of solidarity and the volunteer movement is strong during this full-scale invasion, the fighting is a distraction from important projects and initiatives, including environmental issues. In totalitarian and authoritarian countries such as Russia and Belarus, civic activism is persecuted. And if in Belarus these repressions began in 2020 even before the war, then in Russia repression may still be gaining momentum. Read about the persecution of environmental activists in Russia in 2023 in our analysis of an Ecological Crisis Group report:
One potentially significant consequence of the full-scale invasion could lead to a global energy crisis. Growing divisions of the world into “West” and “East” is leading toward a new colonialist race for influence in developing countries. On the one hand, Russia, the European Union, and the United States seek to protect themselves in the context of this growing energy crisis, while on the other, they also want to preserve and develop their regional interests. Investments in large-scale projects are often the result, including, for example, the case of the Rogun hydropower plant in Tajikistan. Read hydropower expert Eugene Simonov’s assessment of the latest developments related to construction of one of the most harmful projects in Central Asia, both in terms of environmental harm and socio-political stability:
One of UWEC’s most important areas of work is identifying “green” recovery solutions. Our experts have repeatedly spoken out against the restoration of the Kakhovka dam’s reservoir. Despite that coverage, we have not written much about alternative solutions for the two biggest challenges – energy and agriculture. In a new article, UWEC Work Group experts share their assessment that modernized irrigation planning and development of a more efficient energy generation system makes it possible to avoid rebuilding the morally- and structurally- obsolete Soviet-era Kakhovka hydropower plant.
UWEC Work Group publishes a monthly review of events, projects, and news related to the environmental consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In the latest release, you can learn about several analytical and visualization tools, including Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group’s Biodiversity Viewer. We have also summarized the highlights of an expert discussion broadcast by Ukraine’s Dim TV network on the state of nature reserves and national parks in Ukraine including Viktor Shapoval, director of Askania-Nova Nature Reserve, currently under Russian occupation. Lastly, we also track government and inter-governmental projects focusing on the war’s environmental consequences, such as the “Environmental Pact for Ukraine,” including assessing the degree to which experts and community organization representatives are able to participate. Read more in this issue:
As always, we monitor the environmental consequences of the invasion on our website, on Twitter (X), and on Facebook and Telegram.
We wish you strength and peace!
Alexej Ovchinnikov
Editor, UWEC Work Group