Amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, critical infrastructure has undergone significant damage. The destruction of hydroelectric power plants, water pumping stations, purification plants, and wastewater treatment facilities have created an environmental and public health crisis.

“The war has also disabled or destroyed a lot of specialised equipment, and the status of water bodies close to areas of intense fighting has deteriorated. Restoring observation infrastructure can take a long time,” said Nikolai Berlinsky, head of the oceanology and marine management department at Odesa State Environmental University, and part of the delegation that visited Stirling.

In response, a delegation from Odesa State Environmental University visited the University of Stirling to undertake a joint research project that monitors water quality using satellite data.

The technology was developed by experts from the Scottish university, and is capable of monitoring water quality through satellite observation, providing consistent data and assessment even in conditions as challenging as an active war zone. 

The University of Stirling’s role in this was bolstered by funds from the Universities UK International’s (UUKi) twinning initiative, which aims to prevent the loss of academic talent during the ware to help with post-war reconstruction efforts. A total of £4.42 was made available through this initiative to reinforce research in Ukrainian universities. 

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Students from Odesa received practical training on the technology and improved their qualifications and knowledge of hydro-ecological research through satellite data. 

“Water quality is crucial to human health but the war in Ukraine has impacted the quality of water in rivers, lakes and reservoirs, and in the coastal environment,” said Andrew Tyler, project lead and Scotland Hydro Nation chair.

“We were keen to share our expertise with academics from Odesa State Environmental University so that they can fully exploit the potential for national monitoring.”

“Water quality data obtained from EO will provide a robust approach to national monitoring and offer continuity. This will contribute to the improvement of the monitoring system for water quality and the proactive adoption of emergency measures in case of their significant deterioration,” said Berlinsky.