The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station, the annihilation of industrial enterprises, forests, and agricultural fields by enemy missiles, soil and surface water pollution—after the war concludes, Ukraine will grapple with the consequences of all these horrifying devastations for decades to come.
Specialized services have recorded over 6,000 instances of environmental damage caused by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation. And this is merely what has been physically documented; access to certain territories is currently impossible due to the war and occupation.
This year, the regions of Sumy and Chernihiv suffered from pollution in the Semy and Desna rivers. The water in these rivers became practically unfit for use for a time. By late summer and autumn, several regions of the country were enveloped in smog, causing Kyiv to rank first in the world for air pollution levels on certain days.
The damage to the environment caused by the occupiers is already estimated in trillions of hryvnias. This figure is indeed significantly higher, says Elena Kramarenko, the First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine. In an interview with RBK-Ukraine, she discussed the harm the war inflicts on ecosystems, why it is crucial for everyone to conserve natural resources, and how climate changes are being felt in Ukraine.
– Due to pollution in the Semy and Desna rivers, fish were dying en masse in August, and local residents found it impossible to draw water from wells. What is the current situation regarding pollution, and is there a threat to the Dnieper, particularly within Kyiv?
– First and foremost, I want to say that we are no longer recording pollution. The situation is stable. The water now has a natural color without any specific odor. We also do not see fish kills, and the water quality indicators are typical for this time of year.
The pollution we observed in August and September is not advancing any further. There has been dilution, and we see that water quality indicators in the rivers are gradually improving and reaching normal levels. The chemical oxygen demand and dissolved oxygen levels at all monitoring points are within normal limits.
The State Water Agency and the State Environmental Inspection continue to monitor water conditions. Due to the stabilization of the situation, they have shifted from daily sampling to weekly studies. Additionally, oxygen is being supplied to the Desna River using aeration installations. Therefore, we can confidently state that the situation is stable.
– What was the cause of the pollution? Is there anything else that needs to be done besides oxygenating the water?
– As of today, no additional actions are required. The air has become cooler, which means the water is cooling down, and oxygenation is occurring naturally.
However, scientific institutions within the Scientific and Technical Council of the Ministry of Environmental Protection are developing an action plan for the rehabilitation of the Semy and Desna rivers. Furthermore, scenarios for potential emergency situations similar to the pollution incidents in the Semy and Desna rivers are being formulated, detailing how to respond in the first instance if something similar arises.
In this situation, we saw how efficiently relevant authorities worked together: local self-government bodies, regional state administrations, the State Emergency Service, the State Environmental Inspection, and other structures. The Kyivvodokanal Joint-Stock Company also collaborated with us from day one. When this occurred, everyone tried to prevent the deterioration of water quality at the water intakes from these rivers. Of course, this emergency event also highlighted our vulnerabilities; we need to improve communication with the public.
The cause of the pollution was determined to be the discharge of industrial wastewater from a sugar factory located in Russia, a conclusion supported by all scientific institutions that conducted research. Research was carried out by the Hydrobiology Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Microbiology and Virology Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and many other institutions that thoroughly examined the samples collected. They all agreed that it was organic matter discharged from the sugar factory.
– Recently, we faced the issue of peat fires again. This resulted in severe air pollution across several regions, and on one day, Kyiv ranked first in the world for pollution levels. What is the source of this problem, and how does it affect the ecosystem?
– What are peat bogs? They are waterlogged ecosystems where processes of accumulating undecomposed plant remains occur, resulting in the formation of peat. Typically, peat bogs catch fire when there has been a prolonged absence of rain, leaving them in a desiccated state.
However, the ignition of peat bogs today is due to the burning of dry vegetation and explosions resulting from combat actions during the war. Additionally, fires in forested areas spread to peat bogs, causing them to ignite.
This emergency situation is very challenging to extinguish. Why? Because we can quench the surface of the peat bog by dousing it with water. However, underneath, remnants can still smolder, penetrating deeper and complicating the extinguishing process. I can say that to extinguish one square meter of fire in peat bogs, approximately one ton of water is required. This illustrates how difficult it is to extinguish and eliminate such fires.
How does this affect us? The smoke rises, and it is carried over vast areas. If combustion products accumulate in the air in cities, we detect the odor, which adversely affects our health. During such fires, the health risks are significantly higher because toxic substances are released, such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, fine particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds.
– What can be done about this?
– Abroad, nature-oriented solutions to prevent peat fires boil down to one thing—rewetting and restoring peat bogs to their natural state prior to drainage. In Ukraine, projects to restore drained peat bogs are being implemented, but they are few and primarily occur within protected natural areas. Yet even the environmental protection status does not always shield against this issue.
One mechanism that can help reduce destruction and promote the restoration of peat bogs is the adoption of bill No. 4461 concerning Ukraine's Emerald Network. It was created under the Bern Convention, developed by the Council of Europe to protect wildlife and natural habitats in Europe and beyond the EU.
– What would this mean for us in practice?
– It would help preserve natural species and their habitats at the international level. The network aids in protecting rare and endangered species of animals and plants, as well as important natural habitats, preserving them for future generations. Countries within the network commit to adhering to common environmental protection standards, which facilitates efforts to conserve biodiversity across the continent.
Including certain areas in the Emerald Network promotes the implementation of ecologically sustainable natural resource management practices, which helps preserve ecosystems.
Moreover, after Ukraine joins the European Union, significant funding will be secured for activities aimed at the protection and restoration of species and habitats within the Emerald Network (The Emerald Network consists of protected areas established under the Bern Convention across Europe to conserve species and habitats threatened with extinction across the continent. – ed.).
Currently, a more effective approach is to restore groundwater levels in areas where peat was previously harvested.
Everything happening due to climate change, temperature variations—all of this affects both groundwater and surface water. In nature, all these processes are highly interconnected. Therefore, it is essential to treat water with care, using it rationally to preserve our surface and groundwater.
– You mentioned climate change. What specific changes are currently noticeable in Ukraine? What was absent, for instance, ten years ago?
– There are many causes of climate change. Primarily, human activity is responsible. In Ukraine, we are observing warm winters, dry summers, and a lack of precipitation. Already this year, this has led to the silting of several rivers. Hence, we must use natural resources sparingly and mitigate the negative impact on the environment.
Due to the war, greenhouse gas emissions have increased. These emissions contribute to global warming and accelerate climate changes, necessitating an international response. Throughout the war, emissions have reached levels exceeding the annual figures of some countries.
The total emissions caused by the war (in other words, exclusively military CO2 emissions) amounted to 180 million tons of CO2 equivalent. For comparison, this is more than the annual emissions of countries like Austria (73.4 million tons), Norway (72.1 million tons), and Romania (102.7 million tons).</