Ukraine is building a new model of environmental oversight — European in content, Ukrainian in spirit.
During wartime, when every square meter of land can be contaminated by explosives, metals, or chemicals, the state and its international partners have concentrated efforts on restoring the natural environment. The national environmental monitoring system is being modernized with mobile laboratories, digital control points, and a future Environmental Damage Assessment Coordination Center, established with support from UNDP and the Government of Sweden.
This process is taking place with parliamentary oversight, guided by Members of Parliament Olena Kryvoruchkina and Yurii Koriavchenkov, who coordinate the environmental oversight reform within the Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
A European Approach to Environmental Oversight
The full-scale war has caused Ukraine immense environmental damage: destroyed industrial facilities, burned forests, poisoned water bodies, and devastated protected areas. According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, more than 20% of protected natural zones remain threatened or already damaged. In these conditions, environmental security is transforming from an administrative function into a vital component of national defense.
As Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Committee Olena Kryvoruchkina states:
“UNDP and Sweden’s support helps Ukraine not only respond to the challenges of war, but also build a modern environmental oversight system whose main task is to prevent violations and protect nature.”
Mobile Laboratories — Tools of Rapid Response
In early November 2025, Sweden and UNDP donated ten advanced mobile mini-laboratories to the State Environmental Inspectorate of Ukraine for recording environmental damage. These are not just vehicles — they are fully equipped mobile scientific stations, capable of operating in areas affected by active combat or demining operations.
Each vehicle is equipped with:
laboratory tools for air, water, and soil analysis;
drone technology;
refrigeration units for sample storage;
satellite communication for real-time data transmission.
Member of Parliament Yurii Koriavchenkov explains:
“Thanks to our international partners, we are taking practical steps that will allow inspectors to record environmental damage more effectively, including that caused by armed aggression. Our goal is to create European-level working conditions for them.”
These laboratories will form part of a new mobile monitoring network, enabling the state to detect violations, assess pollution levels, and respond to environmental incidents quickly.
Environmental Control Points: Cherkasy Region as a Pilot Model
Alongside technical modernization, Ukraine is developing on-site environmental control infrastructure.
In November 2025, the city of Uman, Cherkasy region, hosted the opening of Ukraine’s second Environmental Control Point (ECP) — a joint project of the Parliamentary Committee, the State Environmental Inspectorate, the Ministry of Environment, and UNDP.
The point is equipped with a mobile laboratory, digital sensors, body cameras, and drones. It operates 24/7, ensuring prompt response to environmental incidents even under wartime conditions.
Parliamentary Committee Chair Oleg Bondarenko emphasized the importance of legislative support:
“Our task is to restore inspections and move towards new forms of collaboration with business, the state, and communities. The results of the pilot project will serve as the foundation for legislative changes.”
Olena Kryvoruchkina adds:
“Effective oversight is not about punishment — it is about partnership and transparency. We are shaping a new environmental culture based on responsibility, trust, and joint action.”
Environmental Damage Assessment Coordination Center — The Analytical Hub
A third key initiative is the creation of the Environmental Damage Assessment Coordination Centerunder the Operational Headquarters of the State Environmental Inspectorate. This project is implemented by UNDP with funding from the Government of Sweden, with a budget exceeding USD 6.7 million.
The Center is designed to:
collect and systematize data on wartime environmental crimes;
conduct scientific assessments and legal expertise of evidence;
develop a digital database suitable for international legal claims;
introduce gender-sensitive damage assessment methodologies;
organize training and public awareness campaigns.
Through these measures, Ukraine is moving toward a model of institutional environmental monitoring based on science, data, and transparency.
Citizens as Key Partners in Environmental Oversight
The environmental oversight reform is not only about legislation — it also creates a new social contract between the state and citizens. The Parliamentary Committee actively engages NGOs, researchers, and local communities in monitoring, training, and collecting evidence of environmental damage.
Citizens can participate in:
reporting cases of water, air, or soil pollution;
volunteering in environmental monitoring initiatives;
using open data on the Coordination Center’s interactive platform;
joining public consultations on environmental reforms.
As Yurii Koriavchenkov underscores:
“We cannot reform environmental oversight without active citizen participation. We need to show that oversight can be modern, collaborative, and effective.”
Looking Ahead: Sustainable Recovery Through Environmental Security
Mobile laboratories, control points, and the analytical center are all elements of a broader system being built during wartime. This system aims not only to respond to current destruction but also to lay the foundation for Ukraine’s sustainable recovery after victory.
Christoforos Politis, UNDP Deputy Representative, highlights:
“Environmental damage assessment is an investment in Ukraine’s future. It will help ensure data-driven decisions so that reconstruction is not only swift but sustainable.”
A Joint Effort of the State, Parliament, and Citizens
The transfer of mobile laboratories, the opening of control points, and the launch of the Coordination Center are concrete steps toward Ukraine’s environmental sovereignty.
The parliamentary team led by Olena Kryvoruchkina and Yurii Koriavchenkov demonstrates the unity of political will, international support, and national responsibility. Their efforts are a clear example of how government, civil society, and international partners can work together to protect both nature and people.
💬 Are we ready to see the environment as part of our defense and recovery?
Clean air, safe water, and healthy forests are not just about ecology — they are about the future of our nation.
Join the discussion:
👉 Share your ideas on how communities can engage in environmental monitoring at www.ndu.kr.ua
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