Some 600,000 tonnes of demolition waste cleared in 6 regions with UNDP support since 2022 – Ukrainian govt

Since 2022, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 600,000 tonnes of demolition waste have been removed in six regions of Ukraine, according to the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers.

"In Mykolaiv, communities are transporting debris to specialized hubs organized by UNDP and JICA, using the recycled materials for road construction. In Bucha, 30% of over 80,000 tonnes of demolition waste have been reused for road repairs," the statement reads.

UNDP is also assisting with water supply and river rehabilitation. For example, following the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, UNDP and the EU FPI provided 22 communities in Dnipropetrovsk region with 40 water purification units and 15 water tankers, ensuring safe drinking water for more than 139,000 people.

"There are now preliminary agreements in place to launch a project to restore water flow in the Saksahan River and supply water to 1.4 million people," the government said.

During a meeting with UN Deputy Secretary-General Haoliang Xu, UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine Jaco Cilliers, and Deputy Resident Representative Christophoros Politis, Ukraine's Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, Svitlana Hrynchuk, expressed gratitude for the support.

"I am thankful to UNDP for its strategic partnership – not only in implementing environmental reforms and shaping modern environmental policy but also for its rapid response to the ecological challenges our country faces. I'm confident there will be many more successful projects and new areas of cooperation ahead," Hrynchuk said.