Nature and Wars Seminar 1: Understanding the impact of the war on people-nature relationships

Introduction to the series of seminars “Nature and wars”
Mykyta Peregrym (10 min) and Stefan Prost (15 min) (University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland)

"Environmental peacebuilding: In the intersection of environmental cooperation, resource governance, and conflict"
Päivi Lujala (University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland)
Abstract: Environmental peacebuilding begins with a simple but powerful idea: the way societies manage land, water, and natural resources can either deepen divisions or create space for cooperation. Around the world, communities facing conflict also face environmental stress, and these pressures often overlap in ways that shape people’s daily lives. When we look closely at these intersections, we see that environmental challenges are not just technical problems—they are social and political questions that influence trust, legitimacy, and the prospects for lasting peace. In this presentation, I will introduce environmental peacebuilding and explain how it incorporates natural resource management in conflict prevention, mitigation, resolution, and recovery to build resilience and peace in communities affected by conflict.

Päivi Lujala is a geographer and natural‑resource governance scholar whose work explores how communities can better manage valuable natural resources and adapt to climate-related risks. She combines insights from economics, human geography, and field-based research to understand how transparency, citizen engagement, and local institutions shape outcomes in resource-rich but vulnerable places. Currently a Professor of Geography at the University of Oulu, she collaborates widely across Africa, Asia, and North America to study how people experience and respond to environmental change. Her work is known for bridging rigorous empirical research with practical relevance, often partnering with NGOs and local communities to improve decision-making around natural resources and climate adaptation. She is a coeditor of the Environment and Security journal and an editorial committee member of the Journal of Peace Research and Wisdom Letters. She is active in the Environmental Peacebuilding Association (treasurer and member of the Board of Directors) and the CitRes network (Citizen Engagement, Transparency and Transnational Natural Resource Governance).

"The impact of military operations on the natural complexes of Ukraine"
Kateryna Polyanska (NGO Environment-People-Law, Kyiv, Ukraine)
Abstract: Military actions pose a threat to the life and health of citizens, as well as to the environment in Ukraine. The impact is comprehensive, affecting all components of nature—air, soil, water, biodiversity, surface deposits, climate, and the terrain. This leads to chemical pollution of the environment, significant physical disruption, and the direct destruction of specific environmental elements. Military actions can have direct consequences and destruction, as well as hidden threats, the timely identification of which can help save the lives and health of Ukrainian citizens and mitigate environmental risks. A clear assessment of the impacts can assist in selecting appropriate methodologies for the remediation and restoration of natural ecosystems.

Kateryna Polianska, environmental scientist in the International Charitable Organization «Environment-People-Law», Kyiv, Ukraine. Gained Ph.D. in Physical Geography, Geophysics and Geochemistry of Landscape in Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University in Ukraine, title of the dissertation: Landscapes of Desna River valley as environment and objects for conservation of nature. Expert on geo-ecological issues, landscape studies, conservation biology, protection of valuable natural areas, study of the impact of hostilities on the environment, calculation of losses due to war and methods of restoration of natural areas.

“Restoration of habitats and vegetation at the bottom of the former Kakhovka reservoir based on field data and remote sensing techniques”
Anna Kuzemko (M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany of the NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine)
Abstract: On June 6, 2023, the dam of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant was intentionally demolished by Russian troops, who detonated pre-deployed explosives, causing an environmental catastrophe in the Northern Black Sea region. Despite the severe environmental and socioeconomic repercussions, the disaster offered unique opportunities to study vegetation development in the long-flooded but now exposed area. The aim of our study was to reveal and demonstrate the initial stages of formation of the flora and vegetation in the area of the former Kakhovka Reservoir, combining field research data (flora and vegetation surveys and observations, etc.) and remote sensing techniques (calculation of vegetation indices, supervised machine learning classification, etc.). We visited the area in June and October 2023, in May 2024 and May 2025; during these visits we georeferenced and outlined various habitat types. These field data were used for geospatial modeling. Our studies found that the number of taxa of vascular plants in the area increased from 11 species in June 2023 to 343 species in May 2025, thus contradicting initial pessimistic predictions and scenarios of desertification, ruderalization, and large-scale invasions of invasive alien species. We identified main types of newly formed terrestrial habitats, including willow and poplar thickets, marshy habitats, mud-, sand- and shell-covered areas with sparse vegetation. Remote sensing methods, augmented by machine learning techniques, complemented these findings, providing detailed habitat maps for the entire reservoir bed. This study contributes to our understanding of ecological successions and habitat dynamics in post-catastrophic landscapes, informing future management strategies for such areas.

Anna Kuzemko, Doctor of Biological Sciences, leading researcher at the M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, co-founder and board member of the Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group, vice president of the Ukrainian Botanical Society. The main focus of her scientific research is the study of grassland vegetation and habitats, their functioning, diversity, and conservation measures. In recent years, she has been primarily engaged in studying the impact of military actions on Ukraine's natural ecosystems.

“Challenges of legal regulation of ecocide: national and international dimensions”
Solomia Baran (NGO Environment-People-Law, Kyiv, Ukraine)
Abstract: The presentation examines the challenges of legally regulating ecocide, both at the national and international levels. Ecocide is understood as a deliberate act, whether by action or omission, committed in peacetime or during armed conflict, which causes serious damage to the environment, including the destruction or degradation of ecosystems or their components. Despite its critical importance, national laws, including Ukraine’s Criminal Code, often lack clear definitions and criteria for what constitutes “serious environmental harm,” complicating effective prosecution. Similarly, in other countries where ecocide has been criminalized at the level of the criminal code, the legal formulations remain ambiguous, leaving room for varied interpretation and inconsistent application. At the international level, the absence of a universally recognized legal framework limits accountability and cross-border cooperation. The discussion emphasizes the need to align domestic legislation with emerging international standards to ensure clarity, prevent impunity, and differentiate ecocide from other environmental crimes or collateral environmental damage in armed conflict. Special attention is given to the role of scientifically grounded criteria in defining serious harm to ecosystems, species, and human survival. The presentation also addresses challenges in proving intent, establishing causation, and attributing responsibility to individual actors. Case studies and doctrinal approaches illustrate the practical difficulties in enforcement and prosecution. Ultimately, it advocates for a coherent framework that recognizes ecocide as a distinct, deliberate, and high-severity environmental crime.

Solomiia Baran is a senior jurisconsult at ICO «Environment-People-Law» and a PhD student at the Faculty of Law, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. She specializes in environmental law and legal accountability for environmental crimes, including ecocide. She has presented at international forums addressing the criminal responsibility of aggressors in armed conflicts, including the 22nd Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and COP29. She is a co-author of scholarly and analytical publications on ecocide, environmental protection, and international environmental law, and contributes to the development of practical manuals on environmental law. Solomiia has delivered numerous presentations on criminal liability for environmental harm caused by war, teaches ICO «Environment-People-Law» online courses, and has authored over ten analytical reports on related topics.

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