The Ukrainian academic community for soil quality in Ukraine
The Ukrainian academic community for soil quality in Ukraine
SUMY University
The destructive impact of military actions in Ukraine on soil quality, starting from 2014 to the present, is complex and negatively affects the ecological stability of the region. The prolonged warfare leads to the physical destruction of the soil cover due to explosions from shells, mines, and other ammunition, which create craters, damage the surface, and alter the natural soil structure. This disrupts soil fertility, reduces its water retention capacity, and leads to active erosion processes. Additionally, soil contamination with toxic substances such as heavy metals (lead, cadmium, copper) and remnants of explosives poses a significant problem. These chemical compounds enter the soil due to explosions, fuel spills, and the destruction of infrastructure, causing soil degradation and the accumulation of harmful substances in the food chain.
All these factors have a negative impact on environmental safety, agriculture, and public health, making the issue of soil degradation critical for the recovery and sustainable development of the affected regions.

Facts
Participants
Teams
Mentors
Judges

Viktoria Strelnyk
Associate professor at Sumy University

Kuznetsova Maryna

Petrova Nataliia

Kanivets Olena
Mentors
Judges

Rohovenko Oleh

Skliar Yurii

Masiuk Oleksandr
Testimonials
Anna Cherepovska
University Student
Participating in the Challenge helped me enhance my teamwork skills and better understand the value of collaboration. Tools like Canva and Google Maps proved to be highly useful for environmental citizen science projects in Ukraine. However, the lack of funding and the ongoing war remain significant obstacles to implementing such initiatives effectively.


Ostrovska Marharyta
University Student
Through the GROMADA Challenge, I found Google Maps and open information sources in the Ukrainian language to be particularly useful for environmental citizen science projects. However, successfully implementing such projects often requires travelling to the project site, which is currently a major challenge. The biggest obstacle is the ongoing war, which makes it dangerous and often impossible to visit the cities where the projects are intended to take place.
Tetiana Muzyka
University Student
Participation in the Challenge taught me the importance of working together toward a common goal. The Copernicus platform proved to be a valuable tool for carrying out environmental citizen science projects in Ukraine. However, insufficient funding remains a significant obstacle to implementing these initiatives effectively
