A planning committee of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will organize a two-day public workshop on addressing environmental damage in Ukraine arising directly or indirectly from Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The damage to be discussed includes but is not limited to shelling of agricultural fields and oil depots, damage to infrastructure (most notably the Nova Kakhovka dam and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, but other infrastructure, as well) resulting in pollution of land and water sources, and the environmental consequences of military tactics.
Participants will identify and examine the short, medium, and long-term effects of this damage on Ukraine's ecosystem, agriculture, population, and society. Particular attention will be given to existing efforts to monitor and document the environmental damage, as well as identifying opportunities in which science and technology can be used to support Ukraine in addressing the environmental consequences of the war.
The goal of this workshop is to compile a full picture of the scope of the damage, highlight efforts to monitor it, and discuss potential ways to address or mitigate the effects of this damage.
Participants will include recognized experts in agriculture and natural resources; environmental science and monitoring; warfare ecology; and science diplomacy. Key representatives from U.S. and Ukrainian government agencies will also be included. A Proceedings in Brief will be published following the workshop.