Environmental impact of war: Ukrainian forests may take 90 years to recover
Photo: Ukraine's long road to environmental stability (Getty Images)
The restoration of forests destroyed by fires and combat operations in Ukraine could take decades. The lungs of the planet, devastated by war, will take approximately 90 years to recover, significantly impacting the ecology of Ukraine and the region as a whole, stated the First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, Olena Kramarenko, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
Due to Russian aggression, more than 6,000 incidents of environmental damage have been recorded, with total ecological losses exceeding 2.6 trillion hryvnias.
Ukraine is receiving substantial support from international partners to restore nature reserves affected by the war. An important aspect of this assistance is creating rehabilitation centers for animals.
Priority areas for recovery include clearing mines from protected areas and forests, purchasing necessary equipment, conducting long-term environmental monitoring, and modeling future scenarios.
An essential part of this effort is acquiring reagents for monitoring studies, crucial in incidents like the Kakhovka Dam attack and the pollution of the Seym River, which have caused difficulties in obtaining necessary research components.
"We understand that Ukraine faces the task of rebuilding, and we must rebuild with environmental consciousness, including modernizing our industry with new, sustainable ecological approaches," Kramarenko emphasized.
Nature has the ability to regenerate, but as humans who constantly use its resources, we must assist in the recovery and avoid causing further harm.
Additionally, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources has addressed concerns about water supply threats in the Kyiv region due to river pollution.
Furthermore, the Sumy and Chernihiv regions suffered significantly from the pollution of the Seym and Desna rivers. As of now, no new pollution has been recorded in these rivers.
