Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work Group

1/ 🙏 Support UWEC with your donation! uwecworkgroup.info/donate/ Against the backdrop of other important news, the #environmental consequences of the Russian #war seem to be taking a back seat. Yes, our era has seen a multitude of crises, but #Ukraine must remain a priority topic.

4/ Thus, despite reductions in typical emissions from factories and cars, the war is nonetheless producing deadly air. 🔗 Read more on the UWEC website: uwecworkgroup.info/toxic-legacy-o…

3/ Fires along the front lines release carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and organic compounds into the atmosphere, causing long-term damage to ecosystems and human health.

1/ 🌬️ #War is making #Ukraine’s air life-threatening. A new study has shown that following massive missile strikes, the concentration of toxic substances in the air instantly increases by 100–400%, and more locally—by up to 10,000%! 🔗 Read more: uwecworkgroup.info/toxic-legacy-o…

3/ At the same time, #LNG investments are increasing #environmental and social risks worldwide—from methane emissions to violations of local residents' rights. 🔗 Learn how this happened and what to do next on the UWEC website: uwecworkgroup.info/lng-dependency…

2/ Capacity has increased by 50 billion cubic meters per year, while #gas consumption has fallen by 20%. This new infrastructure is designed to last for decades and could perpetuate dependence on fossil fuels, delaying #Europe's green transformation.

1/ 🫣 Europe's transition from #Russian #gas to liquefied natural gas from other countries was intended to be a temporary measure. However, since 2022, 10 floating #LNG terminals have been built in #Europe and 7 existing ones have been expanded. 🔗: uwecworkgroup.info/lng-dependency…

3/ Citizens can also contribute by documenting environmental damage in their regions. International mechanisms, including international legal norms and efforts to recognize ecocide globally, can help hold those responsible accountable and protect nature even during war.

2/ Security strategies should be updated, and interagency teams should be created for rapid responses to pollution, toxins, and radiation risks. At the same time, damage monitoring must be modernized by using drones, satellites and data analysis.

1/ 🛡️ Environmental security is gradually being included in national defense policies. Countries that integrate environmental monitoring, satellite data and legal accountability mechanisms more rapidly gain a strategic advantage 🔗 Read more: uwecworkgroup.info/environmental-…

3/ Protecting remaining peatlands, halting permits for peat and amber extraction, and restoring natural hydrology could revive their ecological, climatic and even defensive functions. Preserving these “water banks” is essential—for nature, for climate and for #Ukraine’s future.

2/ Fires, greenhouse gas emissions and industrial exploitation continue to threaten them, while legal protections remain insufficient. Yet there is potential.

1/ 🙏 #Ukraine’s #wetlands are a story of both loss and hope. Its peatlands store centuries of carbon, support biodiversity and regulate water—but decades of drainage and reclamation have left many degraded. 🔗 For more details, visit the UWEC website: uwecworkgroup.info/natures-tank-t…

5/ Today millions of people face problems accessing drinking water. Restoring the #Dnipro requires not only #environmental solutions, but also new international and national rules for water resource management. 🔗 Read more on the UWEC website: uwecworkgroup.info/liquid-iron-cu…

4/ During the full scale war, water became both a shield and a weapon: defensive flooding on the #Irpin River helped protect #Kyiv, while the destruction of the #Kakhovka HPP caused a massive environmental and humanitarian catastrophe: uwecworkgroup.info/after-the-delu…

1/ 💧 The war has changed the role of nature in conflicts. In #Ukraine, water has become not only a resource but also an instrument of pressure. 🔗 Read more: uwecworkgroup.info/liquid-iron-cu…

3/ Fiber-optic #drones are now a permanent feature of modern warfare. Their environmental footprint may not be the biggest wartime threat — but it’s one we can no longer ignore. 🔗 Read more on the UWEC website: uwecworkgroup.info/fiber-optic-we…

2/ What we do know: fiber-optic pollution is a new and understudied risk. Experts disagree on its impact on soils, but there are clear concerns about #microplastics and wildlife. Animals can become entangled in fiber “webs,” sometimes with fatal consequences.

1/ 🕸️ When the war ends, demining will be the top priority — not clearing fiber-optic cables left by #FPV #drones. For now, Ukrainian emergency services report no interference with mine clearance, but the question remains open. 🔗 Read more: uwecworkgroup.info/fiber-optic-we…