[From the Vilni Media website, vilni-media.com]
Preventing Ecocide: A Campaign to Save Ukraine’s Environment Presented in Berkeley
BERKELEY, USA. In 1986, the world was shaken by the news of the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The tragedy turned thousands of hectares of picturesque landscapes into an exclusion zone, leaving a deep scar on the consciousness of the entire planet. Almost four decades later, Ukraine finds itself in the midst of a far greater ecological disaster, which many experts describe as even more dangerous than Chornobyl. This time, the country is being crippled by millions of small and large explosions, the destruction of hydro-engineering structures, and the massive mining of territories. Fires, water pollution, soil poisoning, and the loss of biodiversity—all of this is happening literally in real time. In 1986, Russia tried to conceal its crime. In 2025, it openly brings death to both people and nature, without hiding and reveling in its impunity. Thus, the question of whether the civilized world can put an end to this blasphemy remains unanswered.
To begin active and systematic efforts against ecocide in Ukraine, the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) announced a joint initiative involving the platform Svidok.org, the AI for Good Foundation, UC Berkeley itself, the Ukrainian Catholic University, Ukrainian government officials, and scientists from various countries. The event marked the launch of a new initiative aimed at stopping the total destruction of Ukrainian lands and preventing the war from becoming a global ecological catastrophe. The campaign’s initiator, Anastasiia Fedyk, a Berkeley professor of Ukrainian descent, explains that participants in the initiative are already finding ways to document the damage, developing methods for gathering evidence for legal proceedings, and creating plans to restore natural resources.
“We have started a large-scale collection of testimonies about ecocide in Ukraine, calling on all Ukrainians to provide evidence of crimes committed in Ukraine. The ecological catastrophe caused by the war extends far beyond the front line. It will garner massive attention, and we believe we can pool our strength to restore the affected areas. We also aim to leave extensive information for future generations,” said Fedyk.
The devastating consequences of Russian aggression on ecosystems are backed by staggering statistics. According to Dmytro Kushneruk, Consul General of Ukraine in San Francisco, 13 national natural parks, 8 nature reserves, and 2 biosphere reserves have been occupied by Russian forces. Twenty percent of Ukraine’s protected areas have been damaged. Shelling and fires have destroyed over 24,000 hectares of forest, and overall, one-third of Ukrainian forests have suffered serious harm. The tragedy that occurred on June 6, 2023, due to the detonation of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant claimed 14 cubic kilometers of water—a resource critical for the region’s population and agricultural sector. The flooding of 80 towns and villages, the destruction of a vast portion of Kherson Oblast, and ecological damage totaling over 14 billion dollars are merely the tip of the iceberg of the troubles that have befallen southern Ukraine.
All of this exacerbates the global climate crisis. In the first two years of the full-scale invasion, greenhouse gas emissions from the war exceeded the annual emissions of 175 countries—amounting to 180 million tons of CO₂, the equivalent of 260 coal-fired power plants.
Another painful issue is landmines. Approximately 139,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian land remain riddled with mines and unexploded ordnance, causing annual losses of 11.2 billion dollars. Full demining could cost around 37 billion, yet it is essential to ensure the safe return of millions of people to their native land.
“Russia’s war against Ukraine is not just a brutal campaign of violence against a sovereign state. It is genocide of the Ukrainian people, an attempt to destroy Ukrainian culture, and an act of ecocide—a crime against the environment whose consequences will be felt worldwide,” emphasized Consul General Kushneruk.
Professor Iryna Dronova of UC Berkeley, who specializes in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management as well as Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, described the difficulties in monitoring and forecasting environmental damage during an active war. She notes that the consequences of the destroyed Kakhovka Dam, mined fields, and polluted water bodies are obvious, but detailed research is needed to form a precise picture—and conducting such research in combat zones is extremely challenging.
“This is an unprecedented situation. We can only guess the extent of water and soil pollution and the impact on wildlife and plant life. Natural processes can aid in recovery, but we need to know exactly where and how to act to preserve healthy ecosystems and avoid wasting resources,” Dronova explains.
To begin active and systematic efforts against ecocide in Ukraine, the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) announced a joint initiative involving the platform Svidok.org, the AI for Good Foundation, UC Berkeley itself, the Ukrainian Catholic University, Ukrainian government officials, and scientists from various countries. The event marked the launch of a new initiative aimed at stopping the total destruction of Ukrainian lands and preventing the war from becoming a global ecological catastrophe. The campaign’s initiator, Anastasiia Fedyk, a Berkeley professor of Ukrainian descent, explains that participants in the initiative are already finding ways to document the damage, developing methods for gathering evidence for legal proceedings, and creating plans to restore natural resources.
“Climate change is a reality. It is happening now, and the war in Ukraine only deepens this process, causing ecological disasters and increasing greenhouse gas emissions,” the professor asserted.
Drawing parallels with Chornobyl, Alex Kuzma noted that the world only fully realized the true scale of that catastrophe much later. At the same time, he emphasized that Ukrainians, despite historical tragedies, have once again shown their ability to “bend but not break.”
“Chornobyl was a planetary disaster, and its consequences were felt around the world—even in the French Alps. But Ukrainians did more than just survive; they managed to elevate medicine and, in particular, psychological rehabilitation to a new level. That experience is helping us continue the fight today,” said Kuzma.
UCU Foundation Chief Development Officer Alex Kuzma is on the right.
Not only recognized experts in ecology and environmental studies but also concerned students attended the event. They admitted being shocked by the scale of the tragedy.
“It’s very emotional, especially when you see flooded houses. Everything in people’s lives was left underwater—their memories, family heirlooms, favorite parks… It’s shocking and at the same time makes you think about how you can help,” said Mateo, who came to the event from Marin County.
“What impacted me the most were images of animals that have become semi-feral after people were forced to leave their homes. It’s also hard to comprehend the level of river pollution. This is not just Ukraine’s problem—it’s a challenge for all of us,” said Liz, student from Marin County.
The “Svidok” (Svidok.org) platform is the largest archive of testimonies in Ukraine, gathering eyewitness accounts of war crimes, including those related to environmental disasters. The idea of creating an open space to document the truth about the war was initiated by a group of concerned citizens and friends of Ukraine, in partnership with the AI for Good Foundation. Anyone can securely upload their own photos, videos, and stories, becoming a witness for history. One of the driving forces behind the platform is Anastasia Fedyk—a finance professor at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and Ukrainian by origin. Together with her husband, James Hodson, who has essentially devoted himself to helping Ukrainians, they have been making tremendous efforts to support Ukraine, help it withstand the war, and defend its future. According to the couple, Ukrainians have once again found themselves on the front lines of a struggle against a massive threat to the entire planet. Yet, as the experience of Chornobyl shows, even after the worst catastrophes, people can overcome adversity and rebuild. Therefore, the initiators call on everyone to join in documenting the facts of ecocide and not to remain indifferent to an environmental tragedy whose consequences may resonate painfully across the globe.
Author: Lukian Selskyi
Original source: https://vilni-media.com/en/2025/02/09/zapobihty-ekotsydu-u-berkli-prezentuvaly-kampaniiu-z-poriatunku-ukrainskoho-dovkillia/
