Denisov says wartime is happening indirectly. Coal mines in Donbas have to pump water out to prevent flooding. Water levels rose when the war ended. Millions of Ukrainians have had their water supplies cut off due to the damage to water infrastructure.
The war has put pressure on the government to reverse gains made in the environment. When the gas goes off, Ukrainians have to look for other ways to heat their homes. During battles, the trees that aren't burned are cut down. The government stopped public access to certain types of logging data and canceled the so-called "silent season." The votes were passed over the objections of environmental groups. The state is trying to simplify access to natural resources. It's impossible to stop it.
Vasyliuk wants to see a reversal that adds more land to the country's protected areas. The war has made vast areas of valuable farmland unusable because they are now polluted with heavy-metal pollution and strewn with unexploded bombs. Rewilding in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone was a success. Nature will recover if it is left alone.
It is not yet known how the government's current attention to environmental damage will translate into reconstructing. The Azovstal Iron and Steel Works is located outside the city of Mariupol. The plant was the focus of environmental organizations that wanted to clean the air in the nearby city, which is one of the most polluted in Europe. The war may bring about new, cleaner technology or a downsizing of operations.
The facility's fate is tied to the conflict and politics of rebuilding. It is possible that Ukraine will hold the area, in which case there will be a fight over whether to clean up the plant or save the jobs. It is easy to say things to the media, but it will be political. What if Russia is in that area? Is Russia going to invest enough money to meet the needs in these areas? He doesn't know. It will be a huge problem to deal with.
The country wants to join the European Union, which requires adherence to the bloc's environmental laws as a precondition. Even though the war is over, funding that transition will be a challenge. There was a desire to hold Russia accountable for the costs. The UN General Assembly could possibly pass a resolution to freeze Russian funds. As some countries like the US seem to recognize the precedent such an action would set, the momentum seems to have waned among its allies.
International environmental groups or the European Union can be used to help repair the country. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, which has been monitoring the environment, says there are talks about a Marshall Plan for Ukraine. A big pot of money is being planned for a reconstruction fund.
What to prioritize will be the question. Ukraine's water, energy, and transportation systems are all in disrepair and need to be fixed asap. There needs to be a smooth roll out of renewable energy. The impact of hydroelectric dams is significant. You wouldn't want to install solar panels or wind turbine in a way that requires cutting down more trees. Vasyliuk suggests that solar energy farming should be prioritized.
As the price of renewable power drops, it's easier to rebuild a green Ukrainian economy. A good investment is reconstructing green. It isn't as expensive as it appears.
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