Russia-Ukraine War Inflicting Estimated Cost of 36 Billion Euros of Damage on the Environment in Ukraine

According to Ukraine's Minister of Environmental Protection, not only has the conflict in Ukraine cost lives, but Russia's invasion has also seriously harmed the ecosystem.

Ruslan Strilets told Euronews that Ukraine's natural world has been ravaged since the beginning of the conflict in February, at a cost of more than €36 billion.

War has inflicted €36bn damage on Ukraine's environment

(Photo : AFP via Getty Images)

The minister stated that almost 2,000 examples of environmental damage had been registered by authorities throughout the seven months of the grinding battle, adding that soil degradation and air pollution alone faced "vast" expenditures of €11.4 and €24.6 billion, respectively, as per Euronews.

According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, as of August, 30% of Ukraine's protected natural areas, totaling 3 million acres, have been bombed, poisoned, burned, or targeted by military maneuvers.

Strilets stated that the European Commission, in collaboration with the US State Department, is funding programs to assist Ukraine regain its natural environment in the future.

According to Strilets, one outcome of the conflict was that Ukraine increased its environmental monitoring.

Following allegations of Russian soldiers burning agricultural grounds earlier this spring, the nation established a special task force known as the State Environmental Inspectorate to monitor how the fighting is affecting the natural world.

Nobody had the same methods before the war, the minister told Euronews, adding that he "hoped" no one would need it in the future.

He emphasized how Poland, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic were assisting Kyiv in implementing new environmental legislation, which he believed would help Ukraine join the European Union (EU).

"We strive harder to improve our legislation and synchronize it with European Union legislation so that we may become full members of the EU in the future," he added.

Ukraine filed for EU membership on February 28, four days after being invaded by Russia.

Concerns have been raised that the nation does not match the EU's qualifying standards, notably in terms of its political institutions and economy.

The fact that Ukraine is at war further complicates matters.

In view of Ukraine's recent ground successes in the country's east, which had routed Russian soldiers in, Strilets was sure that Ukraine would win the conflict.

Also Read: Russia-Ukraine War: Around 4,000 Wild Animals Trapped at Mykolaiv Zoo due to Ongoing Gunfire and Rocket Attacks

What the Russia-Ukraine conflict implies for Asia's climate objectives

The majority of Asian countries prioritize energy security over climate goals.

For wealthy nations, such as South Korea and Japan, this means experimenting with nuclear energy, as per Business Mirror.

In the medium term, it involves depending on polluting coal power to meet China and India's vast energy requirements.

However, the fight is having a disproportionate impact on developing nations with already stretched budgets, according to Kanika Chawla of the United Nations' sustainable energy section.

The path Asian nations take will have repercussions: they might either double down on renewable energy or decide not to phase out fossil fuels soon.

Sri Lanka is an extreme illustration of the situation that poor countries face.

Massive debts restrict it from purchasing energy on credit, requiring it to limit gasoline for essential industries, with shortages expected in the next year.

Sri Lanka has established a goal of obtaining 70% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030, with the goal of reaching net zero (balancing the quantity of greenhouse gas emitted with the amount taken out of the environment) by 2050.

Its dual demands of ensuring energy while lowering prices mean it has "no other alternative" than to wean itself off fossil fuels, according to Aruna Kulatunga, author of a government report on Sri Lanka's clean energy targets.

Others, however, such as Murtaza Jafferjee, head of the research tank Advocata Institute, argue that these aims are "more aspirational than practical" since the present electrical system is incapable of handling renewable energy.

Renewable energy grids must be more agile because, unlike fossil fuels, wind and solar energy fluctuate, potentially stressing transmission grids.

The economic crisis has reduced energy demand in Sri Lanka. While there are still power outages, the country's current energy sources-coal and oil-fired facilities, hydropower, and some solar-are keeping up.

Related article: UN Worried That Russia-Ukraine Crisis May Direly Impact Global Heat Goals