The International Forum of the Crimea Platform Expert Network began in Kyiv: the future configuration of world security is on the agenda

Today, on July 18, the International Forum of the Crimea Platform Expert Network “Foreseeing the Future: Expert`s View” started in Kyiv. 

The International Forum of the Crimea Platform Expert Network began in Kyiv: the future configuration of world security is on the agenda

Over the course of two days, Ukrainian and international politicians and experts will discuss the future security architecture of the Black Sea region and the entire world, consider the environmental threats to Ukraine and the world brought by Russian aggression, and conduct an in-depth analysis of democratic principles in the context of post-war russia, exploring how democratic norms, institutions and practices can contribute to stability, peace and good governance in the post-war period.

The main goal of the event is to develop recommendations for practical steps aimed at strengthening security in Ukraine and the world, as well as to stimulate policy discussions on russia’s future strategy.

The Forum is organized by the Crimea Platform Expert Network, the Crimean Human Rights Group and the Center for Defense Strategies.

“More than 60 organizations that are members of the Crimea Platform Expert Network participated in the preparation of the International Forum,” said Olga Skrypnyk, Head of the Board of the Crimean Human Rights Group. 

The event began with a visit of the forum participants – Ukrainians and foreigners – to the towns and villages of Kyiv region that suffered the most from russian aggression. In total, they visited 5 settlements and saw the consequences of Russian war crimes. 

Also on the first day, a panel discussion “Consequences of russian aggression for Ukraine and the world” was held. 

“We have gathered many experts who, based on their expert opinion, will be able to assess the consequences of Russian military aggression from the environmental dimension,” said Olga Skrypnyk.

The experts discussed the environmental problems on water, land and air that have arisen because of the war unleashed by russia and ways to solve them. 

According to the experts, the environmental consequences of the war unleashed by russia will not be quantifiable for a long time. However, today it is necessary to document all the aggressor’s war crimes in this area. It is also necessary to develop recommendations for the Ukrainian government and partner countries so that a roadmap for overcoming the consequences of the environmental disaster is ready today.

It is impossible to monitor the state of the environment in the occupied territory, the occupiers massively mined meteorological stations, – Crimean Tatar Resource Center

This was stated by Svitlana Boychenko, a leading researcher at the Institute of Geophysics, climatologist, professor at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, during the International Forum of the Crimean Platform Expert Network “Foreseeing the Future: Expert`s View”. 

“We cannot monitor the state of the environment in the occupied territories. Since 2014, Ukraine has not received meteorological data from Crimea. Since the beginning of the full-scale aggression, many meteorological stations have not been working in our country, and some of the stations that were under occupation were destroyed or mined. The only way to monitor the situation is through satellite images,” she said. 

According to the expert, artillery fire, the use of missiles and heavy equipment lead to pollution and changes in optical characteristics. As a result of the hostilities, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and aerosol impurities end up in the atmosphere, causing chemical processes and the formation of acid and black rain.  When these substances fall out as precipitation, it is harmful to humans, the atmosphere, and even equipment. 

The intensification of hostilities also leads to an increase in the pace of the military industry, which is very energy-intensive by nature, which in turn leads to an increase in greenhouse gases. 

“Most of these gases enter the atmosphere from russia, the United States, and Europe,” the expert explains. 

Another challenge is the pollution of the atmosphere with carbon monoxide and aerosol particles due to a large number of fires.

Water level in Simferopol and Feodosia reservoirs in Crimea dropped by 30-40% – Crimean Tatar Resource Center

The territory of Crimea is in constant need of irrigation. If this territory is cut off from water supplies from mainland Ukraine, it will be a big problem for the peninsula in the future. 

This was stated by Svitlana Boychenko, leading researcher at the Institute of Geophysics, climatologist, professor at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Crimean Tatar Resource Center, during the International Forum of the Crimean Platform Expert Network “Foreseeing the Future: Expert`s View”. 

“The russians’ blowing up of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station means that Crimea’s access to water is cut off. This territory is in great need of additional water supply, especially after climate change. We can already see that the water level in the Simferopol and Feodosia reservoirs has dropped by 30-40% since 2014,” said Svitlana Boychenko.

russian occupants destroyed a recreational area in the occupied Crimea – Bakal Spit, – expert of the Institute of Botany

This was stated during the International Forum of the Crimean Platform Expert Network “Foreseeing the Future: Expert`s View” by Sofia Sadogurska, expert of the NGO “Ecodia”, PhD, researcher, M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

“The russian occupiers conducted illegal sand mining on the Bakal Spit, which is located in the northwest of the Crimean peninsula. The spit was partially damaged and now it is an island,” she said. 

According to the expert, the occupied Crimean peninsula has turned into a military base of the occupiers, whose actions affect not only the nature of the peninsula, but also marine ecosystems. 

“Mines, underwater explosions, destruction of port infrastructure, invasive species are not a complete list of negative impacts on the environment. These are all factors of marine pollution,” said Sadogurska. 

The expert emphasizes that when it comes to environmental threats, we cannot separate the marine ecosystem and the coastal zone – they are interconnected.