Wars kill civilians, damage infrastructure and destroy the environment. While human lives are impossible to restore, buildings and energy facilities are often the object of reparations and reconstruction. The environment is still often treated as a secondary concern. But forests, rivers, soil, animals and clean air are essential for civilian life and should be considered alongside water systems, energy infrastructure, homes and public buildings.

Ukraine’s environmental recovery cannot wait until the war is over because every month of delay leads to further destruction of already damaged ecosystems, some of which can no longer be fully restored.

Since the beginning of Russia’s war in Ukraine, three million hectares of forests have been destroyed or damaged. Around 75,000 animals have been killed and more than 80 species are at risk of extinction. 23% of Ukraine’s territory is contaminated with unexploded ordnance, which prevents environmental recovery and increases the risk of forest fires.

In eastern Ukraine, 9,500 hectares of forest in the Holy Mountains National Nature Park were burned, 80% of its forest plantations were affected and another 10,000 hectares require demining. Recovery may take 50–70 years, while continued shelling, mines and unexploded ordnance increase the risk of recurring wildfires. The Serebryansky Forest in Luhansk has also been almost completely devastated by repeated fighting, shelling and fires.

Another example of environmental devastation is the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, which flooded settlements, damaged protected areas, contaminated land and water and disrupted entire ecosystems. Mines, toxic remnants of war and attacks on industrial sites also release dangerous substances into the environment.

Toxic particles and pollutants can enter the human body and increase the risk of serious health problems, including cancer, hormonal disruption, respiratory disease and reproductive health issues.  Environmental damage deprives people of the basic conditions needed for a safe and dignified life, including access to water, agriculture, biodiversity and the long-term resilience of communities. When the environment suffers, people also suffer.

This interconnection shows that environmental recovery is also a human rights issue. In 2022, the United Nations General Assembly recognised the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a universal human right. In 2025, the International Court of Justice stated that a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a precondition for the enjoyment of many human rights, including the rights to life, health, water, food and housing.

From Documentation to Practical Recovery

Ukraine has already launched important mechanisms for registering ecological damage. EcoZagroza allows citizens and authorities to monitor air quality and radiation levels and record evidence of environmental damage caused by the war. At the international level, the Register of Damage for Ukraine includes damage to the environment and natural resources. UNDP also supports Ukraine in developing legislation and practical mechanisms for collecting evidence of environmental harm.

All these initiatives are important because they help Ukraine plan restoration, monitor damage and document evidence for future reparations. Other initiatives focus on green recovery. The Platform for Action on the Green Recovery of Ukraine supports reforms in policy, legislation and institutions. BIOFIN Ukraine assesses the financial gaps in biodiversity protection and identifies concrete funding mechanisms to fill them. The Ukraine Facility is the EU’s main financial support program for Ukraine for 2024–2027, worth €50 billion.

These initiatives are valuable but remain fragmented. Some focus on documentation, others on legislation, planning, compensation claims or broad green recovery. However, they do not provide one dedicated mechanism for practical environmental recovery. A separate Environmental Recovery Fund would unite these efforts and provide practical and financial support for environmental recovery.

Since the war is ongoing, some areas have limited access. In these places, the fund could support monitoring, mapping areas at high risk of fires, documentation and preparation for future demining. Where territories are accessible, it could finance soil and water clean-up, reforestation, biodiversity recovery and water-system restoration.

Every Ukrainian has the right to a clean and healthy environment, and a Ukrainian Environmental Recovery Fund would be an investment in making peace liveable.

The image above shows Serebryansky Forest through the eyes of an Azov fighter, 2024. The image is released under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

Footnote from the NCF Secretary General: Anastasiia´s blog highlights an acute and genuine need for a dedicated environmental fund to deal with issues such as reforestation and dam reconstruction in Ukraine. What readers may not gather is that the environmental devastation applies both sides of the front line. For example extensive demining is requred everywhere as both sides use artillery launched cluster bombs extensively, a weapon regarded as barbaric by most civilised nations and only generally manufatured by the USA, Russia and Israel.