Nairobi, 30 April 2025 – The Government of Japan and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced a new round of funding, including for a vital environmental recovery initiative in Ukraine, where the ongoing war continues to pose environmental challenges. The announcement was part of a launch ceremony for a US$4 million supplementary grant to UNEP from Japan aimed at fostering environmental stewardship and promoting sustainable development worldwide.
In Ukraine, UNEP will lead the implementation of the new initiative “Enhancing capacity of hazardous waste management”. The initiative will establish approaches for the sustainable management of war debris containing asbestos, an environmental and public health risk and challenge to Ukraine's recovery. The initiative reaffirms Japan's commitment to support recovery and local capacity for sustainably managing war-related environmental challenges.
"Environmental recovery is fundamental to Ukraine's future resilience and sustainable development," said Cecilia Aipira, Chief of the Disasters and Conflicts Branch within UNEP’s Ecosystems Division. “Japan's support will help address challenges that affect human health and ecosystem recovery in Ukraine’s areas severely affected by war.”
The war in Ukraine has caused significant destruction across the country’s northern, eastern and south-eastern regions. As of January 2024, the Kyiv School of Economics estimated damage to at least 250,000 buildings, including private houses, multistorey buildings, and dormitories, as well as extensive damage to enterprises, shops, administrative buildings, kindergartens, medical institutions, and cultural facilities.
Over 70 per cent of the roofs of residential and public buildings in Ukraine are covered with corrugated asbestos-cement sheets. Asbestos-containing flat slate panels – repurposed from roofing materials – are commonly used as fencing material. Asbestos-cement pipes are also used in water supply and heat removal systems. The new initiative will include assessment of safe management approaches for asbestos-containing debris and its recycling potential, addressing costs, disposal space and public health considerations. It will provide technical support to apply international standards for material testing and worker safety, while conducting site trials to determine optimal methods for handling contaminated debris. Additionally, the initiative will increase awareness of requirements to manage asbestos and develop legal frameworks to engage donors’ support. UNEP's Kyiv Office will implement the initiative together with local authorities and non-governmental organizations working on debris and waste management.
“Ukraine's sustainable recovery can only be possible if it integrates and promotes the global human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment,” said Pier Carlo Sandei, Senior Programme Officer at UNEP Kyiv Office. “The new initiative funded by the Government of Japan contributes to possessing this right by reducing the exposure of asbestos on Ukraine's population.”
Japan is among UNEP’s 15 leading funding partners. The newly announced initiative builds on Japan's past support to UNEP's work in Ukraine. Other UNEP initiatives funded by Japan’s supplementary grant have focused on environmental monitoring and hazardous waste management in war-affected regions in Ukraine, including the assessment of the Kakhovka Dam breach in 2023. This continued support will make a major contribution to Ukraine's broader green recovery from the environmental impacts of war.
As announced at the launch ceremony in UNEP’s headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, funding from Japan’s supplementary grant will also support UNEP’s ongoing efforts to tackle the pollution crises in cooperation with Fiji, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Sudan and Thailand.
For more information, contact Pier Carlo Sandei, piercarlo.sandei@un.org.
Japan is one of UNEP’s top-15 funding partners, whose full-share financial contributions to UNEP’s core fund, the Environment Fund, enable UNEP's global body of work. Learn how to support UNEP to invest in people and planet.
