On July 24, 2025, an online discussion “Modern Environmental Challenges for Women and Men in Ukraine” was held. The event was organized as a part of the project “Environmental Security with a Gender Perspective” by the CSO “Democracy Development Center” together with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, funded by OXFAM. українською
The following topics were discussed during the online event:
- What is the triple axis “Security-Gender-Climate” and why we work with it;
- Analysis of the situation in Ukraine regarding environmental security, based on the results of discussions at previous project events;
- Gender component of the topic;
- New challenges during the war: gender component of the issue, impact on different socio-demographic groups and their participation in decision-making in this area.
As for the regions of Ukraine that suffer the most with the consequences of Russian armed aggression, the years 2022-2025 have already become a time of catastrophic damage to the country’s ecology. In particular, the Kherson region suffered and continues to overcome the consequences after the Russians blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station, there are also fires and problems with implementing worked-out waste management plans in the context of ongoing hostilities.
At the same time, the hub for displaced people from the Kherson region, which operates in the city of Dnipro, has started recycling. Some of used clothes are not thrown in the trash, but are repurposed for animal shelters. Fabric and yarn for warm clothes are recycled too. Ukrainian communities are also fighting against acoustic pollution – for example, they prohibit the movement of vehicles in the evening and at night, the noise from which can be confused with that created by UAVs.
The idea of reusing building materials from damaged and destroyed buildings may become relevant.
2022 also became the year of the destruction of environmental systems in the Odesa region. As of the end of 2024, 65 thousand km2 of territory had been polluted, and in total, the Russian military aggression caused 931 million hryvnias of damage to the environment. The region also suffered after the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station, as the inflow of water from the reservoir reduced the salinity of the sea, which led to the death of many fish, shellfish and dolphins. The seabed is being destroyed, and animal migration routes are changing. The total economic consequences of the war are estimated at 39 billion hryvnias in losses, 12 billion of which are direct consequences of the shelling. All this is damage that must be recorded and included in the claims against the Russians.
It has also been observed that when solving domestic and production issues on the ground, women are more likely to deal with environmental impacts, as well as with safety and comfort at enterprises. Therefore, it is important to involve them in the discussions.
It was previously reported that the CSO “Democracy Development Center” is implementing a project in cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, funded by the international association OXFAM.
The project involves consultants and trainers on environmental and social policy issues to develop proposals for the National Plan “Women. Peace. Security”.
OXFAM is an international association of 21 organizations working in 81 countries around the world to solve the problems of poverty and injustice.