Pathways for Ukraine’s post-war nature recovery: Focus on forest socio-ecological systems

Forests today face significant challenges from climate change, biodiversity loss, and increasing socio-economic and political pressures, all of which intensify with the impacts of military conflicts. This paper focuses on Ukraine and examines the root causes and impacts of the ongoing war in Ukraine on forest socio-ecological systems to identify potential recovery pathways. We use a multi-method approach to examine the socio-economic, environmental, and governance factors affecting Ukraine’s forest socio-ecological systems and to assess the impacts of the war. Through a review of relevant literature and interviews with forest sector experts, we identify key pathways for post-war recovery. Pathway 1 emphasises increased forest use for sustainable low-carbon recovery, using timber for housing reconstruction and green small-scale energy production. Pathway 2 suggests `close-to-nature and close-to-people` approach leveraging digital tools and innovations for climate-resilient management. Pathway 3 highlights anticipatory governance, refining policies, enhancing transparency, and fostering socio-ecological innovations to ensure sustainable forest management aligned with environmental and socio-economic goals. Relying on a single recovery pathway risks long-term vulnerability, yet integrating multiple recovery pathways and anticipatory governance creates synergies. We emphasise the importance of integration of innovative approaches into co-designed sustainable management practices. Our findings emphasise that addressing the ongoing crisis in Ukraine requires coordinated efforts from all levels of Ukraine’s stakeholders and international policy actors. We believe that the findings shared in this paper, aligned with the "build back better" principles, could not only support the post-war recovery in Ukraine but also offer valuable insights potentially useful for other conflict-affected regions worldwide.