Debris management in Ukraine
March 2022 - Ongoing
Donors: The Governments of Japan, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, the European Union, and the Ukraine Community Recovery Fund.
Implemented: USD 64 million
The war in Ukraine has generated millions of tonnes of debris, placing pressure far beyond the capacity of existing waste management systems. Safe and structured debris management is essential for recovery, environmental protection, and Ukraine's alignment with EU waste and circular economy requirements.
UNDP mission is to support Ukraine in developing a sustainable, EU-aligned debris management system, implementing sustainable approaches to managing debris from war-damaged buildings, ensuring its safe removal and sorting, promoting the recycling and reuse of recovered materials, and advancing circular economy solutions for sustainable recovery and reconstruction.
Project goals
| Establish a comprehensive national regulatory framework for debris and waste management, aligned with EU and international standards, to ensure safe, sustainable and consistent practices across Ukraine. |
| Enable Ukrainian municipalities to safely and efficiently remove, sort, assess, recycle and reuse debris, facilitating reconstruction and recovery. |
| Protect public health, workers and the environment by establishing effective systems for detecting, handling and safely disposing of hazardous materials, particularly asbestos. |
| Transform war-generated debris into valuable resources for reconstruction, reducing waste, improving resource efficiency and creating economic opportunities. |
| Mobilise private-sector expertise, investment and technological innovation to develop scalable and commercially viable solutions for debris recycling and sustainable construction. |
Achievements
Publications
Plans and needs for 2027-2028
| 280,729 tonnes of debris to be removed and sorted in more than 10 communities of 8 regions.
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| 195,000 tonnes to be recycled for further possible reuse in roads construction, and production of concrete and cement. |
| Arranging of landfills and storage sites, with the design for the landfills for asbestos disposal and clean up the old storages with debris. |
| 25 units of debris management equipment to be provided |










