The second phase of the environmental initiative. Having identified the problems, we moved on to identifying specific areas and sites for which solutions could be developed: small rivers and water bodies, floodplains and wetlands, soils at risk of contamination, and damaged dams and canals. Natural systems are viewed here as a mechanism for the community’s resilience to flooding, drought, and pollution.
How the War Is Changing the Community’s Natural Systems
The environmental consequences of hostilities are not limited to the direct destruction of natural areas. Damaged water and utility infrastructure, contaminated soil and water, destroyed hydraulic structures, disrupted water regimes, and the degradation of certain ecosystems pose long-term risks to communities.
Rural, de-occupied, and frontline communities are the most vulnerable in this regard. Environmental problems directly affect access to water, land use, the operation of social facilities, food security, and development opportunities.
How We Identified the Need
Local residents and local government bodies are the first to notice changes in the area: flooding, falling water levels, pollution of water bodies, land degradation, and malfunctions of hydraulic structures. The project’s guiding principle is to combine these community observations with the work of environmentalists, scientists, and relevant experts. This provides a clearer picture of the causes of the problems and makes it easier to justify solutions.
Goals, Areas of Focus, and Results
Goal: to enhance the environmental resilience of communities by identifying, assessing, and developing solutions to restore natural ecosystems and resources damaged or altered by war and human activity.
| Work Area | What We Did | What came of it |
|---|---|---|
| Aquatic Ecosystems | Analyzed small rivers, water bodies, floodplains, and surface and groundwater in areas where the hydrological regime has changed or where risks of pollution, flooding, or degradation have arisen | Future Focus: Water Resources and Small Water Systems |
| Soils | Areas of potential environmental risk were identified, along with the need for further field and laboratory studies | Areas for further work: soils and areas of potential contamination |
| Wetlands and coastal areas | Assessed the role of floodplains and wetlands in regulating the water cycle, purifying water, and mitigating the effects of droughts and flooding | Areas for further work: coastal areas and natural mechanisms for adapting to flooding and droughts |
| Hydraulic infrastructure | Dams, drainage systems, canals, and treatment facilities were considered as part of the community’s integrated water and environmental system | Area for further work: damaged hydraulic infrastructure |
| Community engagement | Communities were involved in identifying environmental problems and restoration priorities | Areas for further work: community participation in identifying and implementing environmental solutions |
Project outcome: an approach to the comprehensive assessment of the environmental resilience of affected communities and a foundation for transitioning from a general analysis of territories to working with specific water bodies and communities.
How the work was organized
Community Monitoring
Local residents and local government bodies document changes in their area.
Expert Review
Environmentalists, scientists, and relevant experts determine the causes.
A Single System
Dams, canals, and treatment facilities are assessed together with the water bodies and floodplains they affect.
Incorporating Solutions into Community Plans
Environmental measures should be incorporated into community development plans, as well as plans for the restoration of water and municipal infrastructure and land use.
The goal goes beyond restoring the area to its pre-war state: natural systems should help the community withstand future military, man-made, and climate-related shocks.
What this project did not do
Scope of Work
The project identified areas and sites for which solutions could be developed and established the need for further field and laboratory research.
It did not include conservation or restoration work, nor did it involve detailed studies of specific areas; these became the focus of the next phase.
Place within the environmental initiative
The foundation’s environmental initiative consists of successive phases: each one addressed the question raised by the previous one.
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Environmental restoration of communities affected by the war
Transition from responding to destruction to analyzing long-term risks to water, soil, and natural areas in these communities.
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Restoration of natural ecosystems and environmental sustainability in communities
The state of the environment began to be considered alongside infrastructure and people’s needs.
This project -
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.
