International Banking Projects and Restoring the Lower Dnipro’s Ecosystems

Jan 31, 2024 | Oleksiy Vasyliuk and Eugene Simonov
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International development banks are extremely important participants in Ukraine’s recovery. It is important for civil society to engage in dialogue with them, and banks must comply with strict social and environmental requirements as well as discuss projects with civil society. The war has inflicted tremendous damage on the energy sector, including on hydropower plants, and at the end of 2023, European development banks announced loans to modernize the Dnipro River cascade of hydropower plants. This article discusses civil society’s options for talking about this complex issue and suggests ways to advise international banks in order not to miss opportunities for improving the environmental situation in the Dnipro floodplain, both now during planning and implementation of key reconstruction projects in Ukraine.