From prioritizing contaminated areas in Izium to assessing soil conditions for the safe return of land to agricultural use, Ukraine and Japan are strengthening cooperation at every stage of territorial recovery. These issues were central to two working meetings between Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy and Environment and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
“Cleared land must become suitable for use. To achieve this, priorities need to be determined based on the needs of communities, soil safety must be assessed, and demining must be combined with recovery planning and economic activity. Cooperation with JICA helps us bring these components together and strengthen Ukraine’s capacity in the long term,” Ihor Bezkaravainyi said.
The parties discussed the implementation of a pilot project in the Izium district, including the schedule for recovery work and the necessary safety measures. The GRIT system is already being used to identify priority land plots, along with the results of consultations with local communities.
Ukraine is developing GRIT as a prioritization system that combines humanitarian demining data with information on infrastructure damage and the socio-economic situation. During the meetings, the parties discussed piloting an AI-based building damage assessment module, as well as updating GRIT’s economic and social methodology in the Kharkiv region. Particular attention was given to the possibility of using data from the system to identify small farms and rural households that may require support under a future FAO and WFP pilot project.
The next step after demining is to confirm that cleared land can be safely returned to use. To this end, Ukraine and JICA discussed the creation of a Soil Analysis Center of Excellence. This would not involve establishing a new institution, but rather creating a network of Ukrainian laboratories and research institutions that would operate according to common methodologies for sampling, analysis, and soil condition assessment.
The Ukrainian Soil Protection Institute is expected to serve as the network’s core institution, while the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine and other laboratories may also participate. JICA will consider supporting the initiative, including by involving international experts and organizing training and study visits to Japan.
In addition, JICA plans to present the results of a study visit to Japan under the Women, Peace and Security initiative to Ukraine’s newly established Gender Working Group. The working group will develop practical recommendations for increasing women’s participation in mine action.
During the meetings, the parties confirmed their shared vision: humanitarian demining should not only ensure that territories are cleared but also create tangible benefits for communities, farmers, and Ukraine’s economy as a whole. Ukraine highly values its partnership with JICA in developing the technologies, expertise, and institutional capacity needed to achieve this goal.
