Highlights from the Regional Soil Assembly at the Ecological Research Station “Hlyboki Balyky” (Ukraine)

Soils do not wage war, yet they are among the first to absorb its impact. War contaminates them unevenly, meaning there is no universal recipe for recovery — regeneration requires scientific monitoring, nature-based solutions, and the active involvement of local communities. This was the key conclusion reached by participants of the Soil Assembly conference “Soil Regeneration in the Context of War and Post-War Recovery”, held on May 15–17 at the Ecological Research Station “Hlyboki Balyky”.

Scientists, ecologists, farmers, artists, and representatives of civil society came together around the issue of soil degradation caused by military activity. Participants not only presented the results of recent research, but also explored practical examples of regenerative approaches applied to war-affected territories.

Among the conference’s key topics were the spatial distribution of heavy metals in soils (Serhii Lavrenko, Kherson State Agrarian and Economic University), comparative assessments of soils in strike zones across the Sumy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Donetsk regions (Elina Zakharchenko, Sumy National Agrarian University), as well as international remediation experience, including findings from the project on war-damaged soils (Olena Melnyk, Bern University of Applied Sciences). Particular attention was drawn to the presentation by Kateryna Derevska (National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy), which examined geological environments through the lens of wartime impact and demonstrated that surface-level reclamation is impossible without understanding deeper geochemical processes.

During the discussions, participants emphasized that no single remediation method can be considered universal. The most effective approaches are combined solutions involving biochar, plant and animal residues, functional microbial consortia, and permaculture practices. Special attention was also given to land art projects by the “ArtPole” agency as a tool for the social regeneration of affected territories.

The conference outlined four key directions for future work:

• standardizing soil monitoring methodologies;
• developing affordable remediation methods;
• integrating soil recovery into post-war community development plans;
• advocating for the recognition of soil damage as a separate category of environmental loss.

As a result of the conference, an intersectoral working network was established and has already prepared a joint memorandum outlining priority next steps.

Soils are the foundation of our shared future.

SoilTribes (101157729) is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the European Research Executive Agency (REA) can be held responsible for them.