Sustainable development policy for post-conflict recovery in Ukraine: the role of environmental indicators in decision-making
Keywords:
sustainable development, environmental indicators, de-occupied territories, post-conflict recovery, decision-making, survey research, environmental policy, project financing, circular economySynopsis
This study explores the role of environmental indicators in guiding managerial decision-making for the sustainable recovery of de-occupied territories in Ukraine. The research is grounded in a large-scale survey conducted across 42 territorial communities in southern Ukraine that experienced severe destruction due to the full-scale invasion. The methodological framework is based on sociological data from over 16,000 residents, used to calculate five key environmental indicators: Technogenic Pollution from Military
Activity (TPMA), Degradation of Natural Ecosystems (DNES), Infrastructure and Household War Impacts (IHWI), Access to Natural Resources (ANR), and Biological and Public Health Protection (BPHP). The results were visualized using a heat map to identify ecological “hotspots” and prioritize zones requiring urgent intervention.
Particular attention is given to the development of a structural decision-making model that illustrates the progression from problem identification to the implementation of recovery strategies at the local level. The paper proposes actionable directions for response, including environmental monitoring, land reclamation, waste management, and ecological awareness initiatives. It also discusses potential funding sources for environmental initiatives, ranging from international donor programs and national funds to public-private partnerships and innovative financial instruments.
The findings offer practical value for evidence-based environmental policymaking in post-conflict settings, the formulation of localized sustainable development strategies, and the strengthening of institutional capacity at the community level.
References
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Whitaker, E., Mosello, B., Semeghini, R., Steinkraus, A. (2025). Climate resilience: The missing peace in post-conflict reconstruction. Climate-Diplomacy. Available at: https://climate-diplomacy.org/magazine/conflict/climate-resilience-missing-peace-post-conflict-reconstruction
Swain, A. (2016). Water and post-conflict peacebuilding. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 61 (7), 1313–1322. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2015.1081390
Hay, A. H., Karney, B., Martyn, N. (2019). Reconstructing infrastructure for resilient essential services during and following protracted conflict: A conceptual framework. International-review. Available at: https://international-review.icrc.org/articles/reconstructing-infrastructure-resilient-essential-services-ir912
Suprayoga, G. B., Bakker, M., Witte, P., Spit, T. (2020). A systematic review of indicators to assess the sustainability of road infrastructure projects. European Transport Research Review, 12 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12544-020-0400-6
Analysis of Green Recovery and Post-Conflict Opportunities for the Industrial Sector in Ukraine (2024). Puresource-partners. Available at: https://www.puresource-partners.com/analysis-of-green-recovery-and-post-conflict-opportunities-for-the-industrial-sector-in-ukraine/?
Hanoshenko, O., Halaktionov, M., Huber-Humer, M. (2024). Exploratory study on the impact of military actions on the environment and infrastructure in the current Ukraine war with a specific focus on waste management. Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242x241305909
Flamm, P., Kroll, S. (2024). Environmental (in)security, peacebuilding and green economic recovery in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Environment and Security, 2 (1), 21–46. https://doi.org/10.1177/27538796241231332
Krampe, F., Kreutz, J., Ide, T. (2025). Armed conflict causes long-lasting environmental harms. Environment and Security. https://doi.org/10.1177/27538796251323739
OECD Environmental impacts of the war in Ukraine and prospects for a green reconstruction (2022). OECD Policy Responses on the Impacts of the War in Ukraine. Paris: OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/9e86d691-en
Cherniavskyi, B. (2024). Integration of Drones and Dio-Inspired Algorithms into Intelligent Transportation Logistics Systems for Post-war Remediation of Ukraine. International Scientific Conference Intelligent Transport Systems: Ecology, Safety, Quality, Comfort. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 426–437. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-87379-9_39
Voloshchuk, V., Voloshchuk, Y., Varchenko, O., Karnaushenko, A., Khakhula, B. (2023). Investment determinant of the sustainability of innovative technologies of energy supply in the agro-food system of Ukraine. Rivista Di Studi Sulla Sostenibilita’, 12 (2), 373–395. https://doi.org/10.3280/riss2022-002021
Méndez-Toribio, M., Martínez-Garza, C., Ceccon, E. (2021). Challenges during the execution, results, and monitoring phases of ecological restoration: Learning from a country-wide assessment. PLOS ONE, 16 (4), e0249573. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249573
Integrated Strategic Environmental Assessments in Post-Crisis Countries: A Guidance Note for Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in Sustainable Reconstruction and Development Planning (2018). United Nations Environment Programme. Available at: https://www.yunbaogao.cn/index/partFile/5/unep/2022-03/5_14354.pdf
Bruch, C., Muffett, C., Nichols, S. S. (2016). Natural resources and post-conflict governance: Building a sustainable peace. Environmental Law Institute and United Nations Environment Programme. Available at: https://www.environmentalpeacebuilding.org/assets/documents/806491bc6699.pdf
Raleigh, C., Urdal, H. (2007). Climate change, environmental degradation and armed conflict. Political Geography, 26 (6), 674–694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polgeo.2007.06.005
Sabovchyk, A., Popovych, A. (2025). Definition of the concept and the goals of sustainable development. Uzhhorod National University Herald. Series: Law, 5 (86), 415–422. https://doi.org/10.24144/2307-3322.2024.86.5.61
Butlin, J. (1989). Our common future. By World commission on environment and development. (London, Oxford University Press, 1987, pp.383 £5.95.). Journal of International Development, 1 (2), 284–287. https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.3380010208
Ottomano Palmisano, G., Rocchi, L., Negri, L., Piscitelli, L. (2025). Evaluating the Progress of the EU Countries Towards Implementation of the European Green Deal: A Multiple Criteria Approach. Land, 14 (1), 141. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14010141
Hryhorczuk, D., Levy, B. S., Prodanchuk, M., Kravchuk, O., Bubalo, N., Hryhorczuk, A., Erickson, T. B. (2024). The environmental health impacts of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, 19 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-023-00398-y
Cherniavska, T., Tanklevska, N., Cherniavskyi, B. (2024). A decision-making system for managing the remediation of water resources in the Kherson region: agent-oriented modeling in the context of post-war economic recovery. Transformations of National Economies under Conditions of Instability. Tallinn: Scientific Route OÜ, 223–256. https://doi.org/10.21303/978-9916-9850-6-9.ch8
Martsynyuk, Ye., Khandogina, O. (2025). Key characteristics of war-related debris and their implications for local waste management. Municipal Economy of Cities, 2 (190), 56–62. https://doi.org/10.33042/2522-1809-2025-2-190-56-62
Tanklevska, N., Cherniavska, T., Skrypnyk, S., Boiko, V., Karnaushenko, A. (2023). Financing of Ukrainian agricultural enterprises: Correlation-regression analysis. Scientific Horizons, 26 (8), 127–139. https://doi.org/10.48077/scihor8.2023.127
URTF: Supporting Ukraine’s Recovery, Resilient Reconstruction and Reform (2024). World bank Group. Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/urtf/overview
How Nefco works in Ukraine (2025). Nefco. Available at: https://www.nefco.int/financing/municipalities-in-eastern-europe/green-recovery-ukraine/how-nefco-works-in-ukraine/
Donor Financing Mechanisms for Supporting Ukraine (2024). World Bank Group. Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/ukraine/brief/world-bank-group-donor-financing-mechanisms-for-supporting-ukraine
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Published
September 25, 2025
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Copyright (c) 2025 Viktoriia Petrenko, Alla Karnaushenko, Kateryna Melnykova
How to Cite
Petrenko, V., Karnaushenko, A., & Melnykova, K. (2025). Sustainable development policy for post-conflict recovery in Ukraine: the role of environmental indicators in decision-making. In T. Cherniavska (Ed.), & T. Cherniavska, A. Onyshchenko, V. Kudin, O. Lytvyn, H. Kashcheieva, V. Samsonkin, I. Bulgakova, O. Yurchenko, R. Mammadova, T. Hasanova, M. Aliyeva, B. Cherniavskyi, V. Petrenko, A. Karnaushenko, K. Melnykova, M. Mammadova, T. Baydyk, Z. Jabrayilova, H. Gasimov, … M. Skarzhynskyi, Ecological systems modeling (pp. 96-116). Scientific Route OÜ®. https://doi.org/10.21303/978-9908-9706-6-0.ch5
