Elena Kramarenko, from the Ministry of Health, states that the environmental damage caused by the war is estimated to be in the trillions of hryvnias.

While the war continues, not only people and their homes suffer. Rockets and explosives cause immense harm to the ecosystem. How this affects forests, fields, air quality, and the time required to overcome these issues – in an interview with Elena Kramarenko, the First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine.

The destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station, the annihilation of industrial enterprises, forests, and agricultural fields by enemy rockets, soil pollution, and contamination of surface waters – after the war, Ukraine will take decades to recover from all these horrific devastations.

Relevant services have recorded over 6,000 cases of environmental damage caused by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation. And this is only what has been physically documented: access to some areas is currently impossible due to the war and occupation.

This year, the Sumy and Chernihiv regions suffered from the pollution of the Sema and Desna rivers. The water in these rivers became virtually unfit for use for a time. By the end of summer and into autumn, several regions of the country were engulfed 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. Although this figure is actually much higher, says Elena Kramarenko, the First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine. In an interview with RBC-Ukraine, she discussed the harm the war inflicts on the ecosystem, why it's crucial to protect natural resources, and how climate change is felt in Ukraine.

– Due to the pollution of the Sema and Desna rivers, fish died en masse in these rivers in August, and local residents found it impossible to draw water from wells. What is the current situation with pollution, and is there a threat to the Dnipro, particularly within Kyiv?

– First of all, I want to say that we are no longer recording pollution. The situation is stable. The water currently has a natural color without any specific odor. We also do not observe fish kills, and water quality indicators are typical for this time of year.

The pollution we observed in August-September is no longer advancing. There has been dilution, and we see that the 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, the State Environmental Inspectorate, and others continue to monitor water conditions. Due to the stabilization of the situation, we have shifted from daily sampling to weekly studies. Additionally, the Desna River is being oxygenated using aeration installations. Therefore, it can be confidently stated that the situation is stable.

– What was the cause of the pollution? And is there anything else that needs to be done besides oxygenating the water?

– Currently, no additional actions are required. The air has already cooled down, meaning the water is cooling too, and oxygen saturation is occurring naturally.

3Photo: Pollution in the Desna River is no longer recorded, – Ministry of Environment (Getty Images)

However, scientific institutions that are part of the Scientific and Technical Council of the Ministry of Environment are developing an action plan for the rehabilitation of the Sema and Desna rivers. Furthermore, scenarios for possible emergencies similar to the pollution of the Sema and Desna are being developed, addressing how to respond first if something similar occurs.

In this situation, we saw how effectively the relevant authorities worked together: local self-government bodies, regional state administrations, the State Emergency Service, the State Environmental Inspectorate, and other structures. Kyivvodokanal also collaborated with us from the first day. When this incident occurred, everyone was trying to prevent the degradation of water quality at the intake points from these rivers. Of course, this emergency situation also highlighted our weak points; we need to improve communication with the public.

As for the cause of the pollution, it was attributed to the discharge of industrial wastewater from a sugar factory located in Russia, a conclusion supported by all the scientific institutions that conducted the research. Among them were the Institute of Hydrobiology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Institute of Microbiology and Virology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and many others that conducted thorough examinations of the collected samples. They all agreed that it was organic matter discharged from the sugar factory.

– We recently faced peat fires again. This caused significant air pollution in 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 accumulation of undecomposed plant remains occur, resulting in the formation of peat. Peat bogs typically catch fire when there has been no rain for an extended period, leaving them in a dried-out 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, it is caused by forest fires, from which flames spread to the peat bogs, igniting them.

This emergency situation is very challenging to extinguish. Why? Because we can put out the fire on the surface of the peat bog by dousing it with water. However, beneath the surface, remnants continue to smolder, and they can smolder and penetrate deeper, complicating the extinguishing process. I can say that approximately one ton of water is required to extinguish a fire for every square meter of peat bog. This illustrates how difficult it is to extinguish and eliminate such fires.

How does this affect all of us? Smoke rises, and it is carried over large areas. If combustion products accumulate in the air in cities, we can smell it, and this impacts our health. During such fires, the harm to human health is significantly greater, as toxic substances such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, fine particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds are emitted.

4Photo: Due to peat fires, Kyiv was engulfed in heavy smog (Getty Images)

– What can be done about this?

– Abroad, nature-oriented solutions for preventing fires in peat bogs boil down to one thing — rewetting and restoring peat bogs to their natural state prior to drainage. In Ukraine, projects are being implemented to restore drained peat bogs, but there are few of them, and they are primarily carried out within protected natural areas. However, even the status of protected areas does not always safeguard against this problem.

One of the mechanisms that will help reduce destruction and promote the restoration of peat bogs is the adoption of bill No. 4461 on the Emerald Network of Ukraine. It was created under the Bern Convention, and it was developed by the Council of Europe to protect wildlife and natural habitats across the European continent and beyond the EU.

– What would this provide 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 that are part of the network commit to adhering to common nature conservation standards, which facilitates efforts to preserve biodiversity across the entire continent.

Inclusion of specific territories in the Emerald Network supports the implementation of environmentally sustainable natural resource management practices, helping to conserve ecosystems.

Additionally, after Ukraine's accession to the European Union, significant funding for activities related to the protection and restoration of species and habitats in the Emerald Network territories will be ensured (the Emerald Network consists of protected areas created in accordance with the Bern Convention across Europe to conserve species and habitats at risk of extinction across the continent – ed.).

Currently, a more effective approach is to restore groundwater levels in areas where peat was previously extracted.

Moreover, everything happening due to climate change, temperature changes – all of this affects both groundwater and surface waters. In nature, all these processes are closely interconnected. Therefore, we must treat water very carefully, using it rationally to preserve our surface and groundwater.

– You mentioned climate change. What specific climate changes are currently noticeable in Ukraine? What was not present, for example, ten years ago?

– There are many causes of climate change. Primarily, it is human activity. In Ukraine, we are witnessing warm winters, dry summers, and a lack of precipitation. Already this year, this has led to the shallowing of some rivers. Therefore, we must use natural resources sparingly and reduce our 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 year of war, emissions have reached levels exceeding the annual figures of some countries.

5Photo: Agricultural lands are