CEOBS’ Citizen Science Water Quality Hackathon for Ukraine

Mar 19, 2025 | Conflict and Environment Observatory
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Armed conflicts disrupt water systems that are critical for human wellbeing and environmental safety, and since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, CEOBS has been documenting incidents of environmental harm, including to critical water and energy infrastructure. During wars, water pollution may stem from a number of direct and indirect sources. In Ukraine this includes the toxic remnants of weapons, leaks and discharges caused by attacks on industrial facilities, or a lack of infrastructure maintenance, such as to mine tailing dams, as well as from acid mine drainage from closed or de-energised coal mines. Environmental harm may occur within various parts of the hydrological cycle, including surface waters — such as rivers and lakes, groundwater aquifers or the marine environment.