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Oil slick in the Black Sea at the place of the sinking of the cruiser "Moscow" according to the satellite image Sentinel 1A from April 24, 2022
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The usage of remote sensing data for tracking or monitoring war conflicts is a reality nowadays. The Russian invasion in Ukraine seriously impacted on the environment of the attacked country in all areas: air, soil, water, flora and fauna. The war has created a massive increase in air pollution in some regions of Ukraine, and might have effect in n...
Citations
... The terroristic war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine brings new facts on the impacts on the aquatic ecosystems [264][265][266][267][268]. There were five main groups of impacts of this war on these ecosystems delineated: the destruction of the hydrotechnical facilities; water bodies' contamination; destruction and shutdown of the hydropower facilities and disorders of the HPP and NPP cooling ponds regime; navigation issues; and threats to fishery and aquaculture [268,269]. ...
The inheritance of historic human-induced disruption and the fierceness of its impact change aquatic ecosystems. This work reviews some of the main stressors on freshwater ecosystems , focusing on their effects, threats, risks, protection, conservation, and management elements. An overview is provided on the water protection linked to freshwater stressors: solar ultraviolet radiation, thermal pollution, nanoparticles, radioactive pollution, salinization, nutrients, sedi-mentation, drought, extreme floods, fragmentation, pesticides, war and terrorism, algal blooms, invasive aquatic plants, riparian vegetation, and invasive aquatic fish. Altogether, these stressors build an exceptionally composite background of stressors that are continuously changing freshwater ecosystems and diminishing or even destroying their capability to create and maintain ongoing natural healthy products and essential services to humans. Environmental and human civilization sustainability cannot exist without the proper management of freshwater ecosystems all over the planet; this specific management is impossible if the widespread studied stressors are not deeply understood structurally and functionally. Without considering each of these stressors and their synergisms, the Earth's freshwater is doomed in terms of both quantitative and qualitative aspects. Citation: Bănăduc, D.; Curtean-Bănăduc, A.; Barinova, S.; Lozano, V.L.; Afanasyev, S.; Leite, T.; Branco, P.; Gomez Isaza, D.F.; Geist, J.; Tegos, A; et al.
... Russian forces invaded the territory of Ukraine. In the 21 st century, the Russian-Ukrainian war exceeds all other military conflicts studied in the last 80 years in terms of scale and consequences (Shevchuk et al., 2022). Military actions during war have a significant impact on landscapes and territories, causing diverse long-term negative consequences (Pereira et al., 2022). ...
... The war in Ukraine has caused significant damage and worsened the landscapes of more than 16% of natural territories (~104,000 km 2 ), affected the access of people to quality drinking water, and the loss of many ecosystem services in water bodies (Afanasyev, 2023a). The disruption of many dams as strategic elements of transport connections and structures for the accumulation and retention of water resources has caused significant social and economic losses and caused a certain danger to aquatic ecosystems and their biodiversity (Shevchuk et al., 2022;Novitskyi et al., 2024). In addition to the Kakhovske Reservoir, accidents on the Irpin River (Kyiv Region), the devastation of the Oskolske Reservoir (from the initial water volume of 435 million m 3 only 80 million m 3 remained), damage to the Karachunivske Reservoir, etc., are some other examples of such nature destruction (State Agency, 2023). ...
We studied the development of commercial and recreational fishing on the Kakhovske Reservoir (aka Kakhovka) and the Dnipro (aka Dnieper) River lowlands in 2020–2023. The fish assemblage of the Kakhovske Reservoir is under consideration for the period 1956–2021. The dynamics of the fish population transformation, species extinction, and the emergence of new invasive species are given. The losses in Kakhovske Reservoir’s ecosystem services as a result of the Kakhovska Hydroelectric Power Plant’s (HPP) Dam explosion in June 2023 are analyzed. The states and prospects for local recreational and commercial fishing development are assessed. By field research and monitoring observations of the Kakhovske Reservoir and the Dnipro River lowland using the Earth remote sensing data, it was established that 2 months after the accident, the area of the remained reservoir water surface was ∼430 km² (about 19% of the initial, including the restored Dnipro River bed). The newly formed shallow waterbodies, which do not have a water connection between each other, occupy an area of about 300 km². These areas continue to dry out, shrink, and become overgrown with vegetation. The draining of the Kakhovske Reservoir caused an ecological disaster for about 40 species and subspecies of fish. The total monetary losses of commercial fishing are about $5.5 million annually. Losses in fishery from the vanishing of spawning grounds are estimated at 20,000 tons of fish resources (∼$40 million). The negative consequences of the loss of the Kakhovske Reservoir aquatic ecosystems will affect the socio-economic development of the entire South of Ukraine for a long time. Among the major ecosystem services lost is the cessation of water supply. Ukraine’s priority issues are the post-war rehabilitation of the country, its degraded lands, territories, and water areas, and ensuring water and food security. One of the urgent problems will be the feasibility of reconstruction of the Kakhovska HPP’s Dam and restoration of the Reservoir, renovation of water supply, fishery, navigation, energy, and recreation. Biodiversity is a basis for the efficient and sustainable ecosystem functions that provide many ecosystem services, and it should be considered for the post-war recovery and development of Ukraine.
... In Ukraine, the situation has been exacerbated by the Russian invasion that has disrupted almost every natural activity, as well as conservation measures and, inevitably, ecosystem services [30]. Significant damage has been inflicted on more than 16 % of the territory (over 100,000 km 2 ); access to safe drinking water is restricted for approximately 5 million people; there have been huge economic losses, as well as disruption and total loss of aquatic ecosystems [31,32]. ...
Russian forces have destroyed one-third of Ukraine’s freshwater storage since February 2022 to 2024. Potable, industrial and irrigation water supplies have been cut across the south and east of the country. Overall, social, economic and ecological damages are estimated in the tens of billions of $US, while the loss of Ukraine’s economic potential and necessary investments in restoration reach $600 billion. We consider the current eco-economic efficiency of irrigated crops, as well as damage to commercial and recreational fisheries including losses of littoral areas and spawning grounds. Alternative water supplies for the war-torn regions by construction of wells to tap groundwater are presented and justified; various scientific opinions and approaches to ecosystem management and options for the future reconstruction of the Kakhovka Reservoir are discussed; and, finally, strategic development options for the water sector are considered to ensure water security in the post-war development period.
... Over the course of the following weeks, the reservoir -the largest by volume on the Dnipro River -emptied, terminating supply to irrigation canals, industrial and domestic needs, as well as shipping on the reservoir; an eerie echo of the August 1941 destruction of the spillway of Dnipro hydropower plant near Zaporizhzhya by the retreating Red Army to delay advancing German forces [1,6,7]. Many dams and weirs have been casualties of the Russia-Ukraine war but the Kakhovka dam is the biggest [1,4,5,8]; its destruction has left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without water and livelihoods. This demands attention to the future of the Kakhovske reservoir. ...
... Аналіз забруднення природного середовища. На основі експериментальних досліджень доведено переваги методу дистанційного зондування для оцінювання масштабних наслідків війни для довкілля в Україні (Shevchuk et al., 2022). За супутниковими даними, у перші місяці російського збройного вторгнення встановлено суттєве атмосферне забруднення (пункти моніторингу у м. ...
The negative consequences of various types of military activity on physical disturbances and chemical pollution of the environment are systematized. Factors of chemical pollution include potentially toxic elements, energetic compounds (explosives, fuels) and chemical warfare agents. According to the systematization of the available data on the long-term impact of military exercises and military actions on the territories of different countries on soil pollution, metal compounds dominate among potentially toxic elements, and organic pollutants dominate among energetic compounds. The combination of physical violations with multicomponent chemical pollution creates a specificity of the negative impact of the consequences of military activity on the natural environment compared to other anthropogenic factors. The following directions of research into the problem were noted: detection, distribution and ecotoxicology of chemical pollutants in natural environments, impact on biodiversity and vegetation dynamics, phytoremediation to reduce the level of chemical pollution, ecological and physiological factors of plant tolerance, degradation and detoxification of organic pollutants in plants. The tolerance of plants to the residues of explosive substances of various classes occurs due to the general pathways of biochemical transformation, which ensure the detoxification of organic xenobiotics. Taking into account the current state of the problem, literary data on the directions of research into the impact of military actions in Ukraine on the environment and the transformation of vegetation are summarized. Among these areas, the following were noted: assessment of damage caused by armed aggression to the natural environment; environmental monitoring of combat action; analysis of pollution of the natural environment; transformation of vegetation. Destructions of the natural environment as a result of combat action led to significant changes in vegetation, which are associated with ruderalization and adventization. The role of ruderal (including invasive) plants common in the flora of Ukraine under conditions of chemical pollution of habitats is analyzed. Increased tolerance of invasive plant species to high levels of metals and organic pollutants can be used for phytoremediation of disturbed areas, but will create a competitive advantage for more intensive spread compared to native species and new risks to phytodiversity. Трансформація рослинності за умов впливу воєнних дій на природне середовище в Україні (огляд літератури) В. С. Феденко Дніпровський національний університет імені Олеся Гончара, Дніпро, Україна Систематизовано негативні наслідки різних видів військової діяльності на фізичні порушення та хімічне забруднення середовища. Чинники хімічного забруднення включають потенційно токсичні елементи, енергетичні сполуки (вибухові
... According to estimates from the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and the Kyiv School of Economics [10], the total economic losses caused by the war (fall in GDP, cessation of investments, outflow of labour, additional expenses for defence and social support, etc.) range from $500-600 billion. The water crisis is particularly critical in the occupied regions [11,12]; many reservoirs have been destroyed [13], the operation of dozens of main canals is discontinued, water intake structures have been damaged or rendered inoperable, pumping stations and main pipelines have been affected, and access to surface water sources ( Figure 1) has been restricted. ...
... Since military operations are taking place in the southern and eastern territories of Ukraine, more attention is devoted to them. The authors of paper [5] show the possible use cases based on remote sensing data to track and monitor Ukraine's environment during the war. However, the authors do not provide any quantitative assessments at the country level, and present only the monitoring of small areas (pilots). ...
Wildfires cause extensive damage, but their rapid detection and cause assessment remains challenging. Existing methods utilize satellite data to map burned areas and meteorological data to model fire risk, but there are no information technologies to determine fire causes. It is crucially important in Ukraine to assess the losses caused by the military actions. This study proposes an integrated methodology and a novel framework integrating burned area mapping from Sentinel-2 data and fire risk modeling using the Fire Potential Index (FPI) in Google Earth Engine. The methodology enables efficient national-scale burned area detection and automated identification of anthropogenic fires in regions with low fire risk. Implemented over Ukraine, 104.229 ha were mapped as burned during July 2022, with fires inconsistently corresponding to high FPI risk, indicating predominantly anthropogenic causes.
... Apply the mask to the land cover image. 6. Calculate the area of the affected areas. ...
... For the most part, these are the territories of destroyed settlements, areas where defense structures were erected, as well as places of massive missile, artillery and air strikes, areas of extensive fires. The resolution of the image does not allow to single out individual small affected areas, which in the future also require reclamation (for example, explosion funnels with a diameter of less than 5 m), but the experience of such analysis is already available on the example of the Izyum Territorial Community in Kharkiv region [5,6]. ...
This article is devoted to the analysis of the consequences of military actions using the integration of spectral indices and remote sensing to assess the affected areas. Military conflicts have significant impacts on the natural and human environment, and accurately quantifying the extent of damage is an important task for recovery and humanitarian assistance. This paper examines the role of spectral indices such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), and the Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) in damage detection based on remote sensing. These indices provide information on the state of vegetation, changes in the water regime, and fire damage. The use of remote sensing, in particular high-resolution images, as an effective tool for obtaining data on affected areas is also considered. Combining spectral indices with other geographic data and machine learning algorithms allows for the creation of a detailed damage map and the classification of areas by degree of damage. The examples of analysis given in the article are based on the Kherson region in Ukraine. The use of spectral indices and remote sensing made it possible to identify affected areas, establish the level of damage, and direct resources for recovery. The article presents the importance of integrating spectral indices and remote sensing for effective analysis of the consequences of military operations. This will help ensure a quick and accurate assessment of affected areas, which can be used to develop recovery strategies and provide humanitarian assistance.
... However, these assessments contain a lack of information about the exact origin of observed changes in air pollution, with a slight emphasis on meteorological variability. Shevchuk et al. (2022) described several cases of huge emissions after missile attacks on oil depots and near areas of intense military clashes using Sentinel-2 and Landsat data. Nevertheless, after a year of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, there is still a gap in our knowledge of how air pollution evolved and what the changes were in specific occupied and non-occupied cities, which have been influenced by the war in absolutely different ways. ...
... Modern armed conflicts will have a huge impact on the safety of human life and property as well as the social and natural environment [1]. Since the 21st century, dozens of armed conflicts have broken out in the world, including the war in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq, the civil war in Syria, the civil war in Libya and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. ...
Modern armed conflicts can cause serious humanitarian disasters, and remote sensing technology is critical in monitoring war crimes and assessing post-war damage. In this study, a constrained energy minimization algorithm incorporating the feature bands (IFB-CEM) is designed to detect urban burning areas in optical images. Due to the difficulty of obtaining the ground survey data of the battlefield, the dual-polarization normalized coherence index (DPNCI) is designed based on the multi-temporal synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image, and the quantitative inversion and evaluation of the destruction of urban architecture are combined with the public images on the Internet. The results show that the burning area is widely distributed in the armed conflict region, and the distribution is most concentrated around the Azovstal steel and iron works. The burning area reached its peak around 22 March, and its change is consistent with the conflict process in time and space. About 79.2% of the buildings in the city were severely damaged or completely destroyed, and there was a significant correlation with burning exposure. The results of this study show that publicly available medium-resolution remote sensing data and Internet information have the ability to respond quickly to the damage assessment of armed conflict and can provide preliminary reference information for dealing with humanitarian disasters.
