Ukraine’s agriculture losses due to war-related soil loss in Kharkiv Oblast amount to almost US$940 million
Pravda Ukraine
Agriculture losses due to soil loss caused by hostilities in Kharkiv Oblast alone are currently about UAH 37 billion (approx. US$936 million).
Source: Ukrainian Researchers Society
Details: The Ministry of Economy and Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine commissioned the study, which was conducted in collaboration with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
Quote: “It is critical for Ukraine to comprehend the damage caused by Russia. We need specific statistics to charge and demand recompensation from the belligerent state.
Assessing agricultural losses due to soil loss is also critical in determining the health of our soils and what we will do with them once the active phase of hostilities is over. Updating information through such a study is vitally crucial for establishing a future development strategy for both agriculture and the country as a whole”, said Ihor Bezkaravainyi, Ukraine’s Deputy Economy Minister, during the discussion.
The study was divided into three stages: geospatial analysis of high-precision satellite pictures to determine arable land and the extent of damage caused by ammunition and military equipment.
Separate digital maps of soil types and erosion levels were generated.
“The field part of the study included sampling the affected soils for laboratory examination. Explosions directly harmed 4,200 hectares of fertile land and could poison an additional 28,200 hectares. Another 3,400 hectares of topsoil were compressed by the transit of military equipment,” the Ministry of Economy said in a statement.
“One of the most important aspects of developing a mine clearance prioritisation system will be the assessment of agricultural losses caused by soil loss.
With this puzzle piece, we will be able to design a system that will tell us when to clean which territories so that they are as efficient, productive, and contribute to the country’s development. We are in the moment when doing everything well and leveraging modern capabilities allows us to make a significant qualitative jump forward,” added Bezkaravainyi.
Experts are currently assessing soil damage in both Kherson and Mykolaiv Oblasts. The next phase is to use the same methodology for the complete examination of all Ukrainian territories targeted by Russian attacks.
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