Building expertise in soil pollution management: Training modules for Ukraine’s soil health assessment
As the impacts of conflict pose increasing risks to Ukraine's agricultural soils, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the World Food Programme (WFP), have joined forces through the "Restoring Livelihoods and Revitalizing Rural Communities through Mine Action" programme. The four- year initiative aims to survey damages related to land warfare on farmland, prioritize mine action assistance needs, provide technical support for returning land to production, and reduce the need for humanitarian aid assistance.
As part of this programme, FAO, through its Global Soil Partnership, seeks to provide and equip Ukrainian scientists with the knowledge and tools for accurate soil pollution identification, risk mitigation, and the development of contaminant reduction strategies, ultimately contributing to a sustainable and resilient agricultural future for Ukraine. Furthermore, it aims to make these tools and knowledge transferable, supporting other conflict-affected countries in safely restoring land for productive use.
To support this initiative, the GSP is partnering with the Belgian Soil Laboratory Network (BESOLAN), led by the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Belgium’s leading sustainability research institute. Together, the GSP and BESOLAN have designed a comprehensive training programme on soil sampling and assessment tailored for Ukrainian soil experts, including laboratory heads and technicians, recent graduates, and environmental regulators from private institutions, academia, government agencies, and the military.
The programme, currently engaging 25 Ukrainian participants, is structured in two phases:
- Online theoretical courses led by BESOLAN experts to establish a solid foundation in soil pollution assessment protocols.
- In-person training in Belgium, where participants engage in fieldwork, collecting soil and groundwater samples, followed by hands-on training in soil analysis in the laboratory.
The first phase of the online theoretical course, which includes 18 sessions on the fundamental principles of soil and groundwater pollution assessment, as well as laboratory techniques for analyzing soil’s physical, chemical, and biological parameters, was completed and recorded in November 2024. Acknowledging that soil pollution resulting from military conflicts extends beyond Ukraine and poses a global issue affecting many countries, the GSP has made these training sessions publicly accessible. These sessions, available in English, can be found on the GSP YouTube channel and can be accessed, free of charge, by anyone interested in enhancing their knowledge of soil and groundwater pollution assessment and wishing to learn more about FAO’s efforts to restore food security, environmental health, and economic resilience. The sessions can be viewed through the following link:https://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/insop/trainingonsoilpollution
To support this initiative, the GSP, with the financial support of Canada to FAO Ukraine, is partnering with the Belgian Soil Laboratory Network (BESOLAN), led by the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Belgium’s leading sustainability research institute. Together, the GSP and BESOLAN have designed a comprehensive training programme on soil sampling and assessment tailored for Ukrainian soil experts, including laboratory heads and technicians, recent graduates, and environmental regulators from private institutions, academia, government agencies, and the military, funded by Canada
For more information about the programme or to participate in any online training sessions, please contact Nathan Park at [email protected] or Sergejus Ustinov at [email protected].
Funded by the Government of Canada
