The foundation’s first environmental project. We collected and organized information on the environmental impacts of the war at the community level: water quality, soil contamination, damaged hydraulic structures, and altered natural areas. The project’s outcome was the identification of priority areas, which served as the starting point for all subsequent phases of our work.
Why reconstruction cannot be limited to buildings
The full-scale invasion destroyed homes, social infrastructure, and critical facilities, leaving communities with long-term environmental consequences. Damaged water supply and wastewater systems, destroyed hydraulic structures, contaminated soil and water bodies, debris from the destruction, and disrupted ecosystems have created new risks for people and for the future recovery of these areas.
Without an assessment of the condition of water, soil, and natural areas, a community cannot safely bring people back or plan for development. The situation is most difficult for de-occupied, frontline, and rural communities: the consequences of hostilities there are compounded by limited financial and technical capacity to conduct such an assessment on their own.
How We Identified the Need
We collected information on problem areas and sites together with community representatives. We combined local knowledge of the area with expert assessment to identify issues that directly affect people’s lives.
Goals, Areas of Focus, and Results
The goal is to create a preliminary system for identifying, analyzing, and prioritizing environmental problems in affected communities and to identify natural and infrastructure sites that require further study, restoration, or modernization.
| Work Area | What We Did | What came of it |
|---|---|---|
| Water Resources | Analyzed the condition of surface and groundwater, sources of potential pollution, damage to water supply and wastewater systems, and risks to people’s access to safe water | Priority: Assessing the condition of surface and groundwater |
| Soil | We identified areas where combat operations and infrastructure destruction could have contaminated the soil | Priority: investigation of soil contamination |
| Water and Hydraulic Infrastructure | Damaged or potentially hazardous facilities and their possible impact on natural systems and populated areas were identified | Priority: Analysis of damaged water and hydraulic infrastructure |
| Natural ecosystems | Identified natural areas and water bodies whose condition has changed due to hostilities or infrastructure damage | Priorities: restoration of small water bodies and monitoring of areas that have suffered significant military and man-made impacts |
| Community Engagement | We collected information on problem areas together with community representatives | Priority: preparing communities to develop comprehensive environmental and infrastructure projects |
How the work was organized
Identification in collaboration with the community
Community representatives identified problem areas and sites.
Expert assessment
Local knowledge of the area was combined with expert assessments.
Connection to Community Life
Environmental issues were considered in conjunction with water and municipal infrastructure, public health and safety, and the local economy.
Priorities
We identified which facilities required research, restoration, or modernization first and foremost.
Thus, the focus shifted from the question “What was damaged?” to “What needs to be restored or changed to make the community safer and more resilient to future crises?”
What this project did not do
Scope of the Work
This was the initial identification phase. It did not include field research, mapping of natural assets, local environmental databases, or specific restoration solutions.
The project highlighted precisely this need, which served as the starting point for the subsequent phases of this initiative.
Place within the environmental initiative
This project marked the beginning of the foundation’s environmental initiative. Each subsequent stage addressed a question raised by the previous one.
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Environmental restoration of communities affected by the war
A shift from responding to destruction to analyzing long-term risks to water, soil, and natural areas in these communities.
This project -
Restoration of natural ecosystems and environmental resilience in communities
The state of the environment is now being considered alongside infrastructure and people’s needs.
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Comprehensive assessment of water resources and environmental risks in communities
Pilot project in the Tsyrkunivska community: water supply, wastewater management, groundwater, and ecosystems as a single system.
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Comprehensive assessment and modernization of community water supply and wastewater systems
Field surveys and water testing. Key finding: An environmental assessment must be conducted prior to any investment decision.
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Comparative assessment of water management in Ukrainian communities
A comparison of different types of communities showed that a unified assessment methodology is needed.
Ongoing -
Digital monitoring and mapping of community water ecosystems
Standardized field data collection, GIS mapping, digital model of the water body, remote engagement of experts.
Ongoing -
LIVING WATER
Transition from individual territories to a network of communities using a common methodology.
The concept has been submitted
Documents
Public
Available upon request
- Project description and team working materials
- Foundation Policies and Compliance Documents
About the Organization
Charitable Organization “International Unity Movement Foundation,” EDRPOU 44797809. Compliance management system in accordance with ISO 37301:2021. Confidential inquiries: [email protected]. The complete partner verification package is available on the partners’ page.
Discuss cooperation in the environmental sector
The project has been completed, and its findings have formed the basis for the next stages of this initiative. We are open to collaboration with communities, scientific institutions, and partners who fund restoration efforts.
