Ukraine's forests represent a critical national and global resource, supporting biodiversity, climate resilience and livelihoods. In areas affected by conflict, however, explosive contamination presents a serious risk to those responsible for managing and protecting forested land.

In July 2024, Global Clearance Solutions (GCS) completed Provincial Explosive Awareness and Reporting (PEAR) training for personnel of Forests of Ukraine, the state authority responsible for managing more than 100,000 square kilometres of forest across the country.

Explosive risk in forest environments

Since the fullscale invasion in 2022, large areas of forested land have been affected by explosive hazards, including landmines, unexploded ordnance and secondary risks such as fires triggered by detonations. Contamination restricts access for forestry workers, emergency responders and conservation teams, while also delaying environmental restoration.

As part of Ukraine's longer-term recovery planning, the government has identified demining as a necessary first step before damaged ecosystems can be rehabilitated and conservation areas restored.

Training tailored to forestry operations

The PEAR programme delivered by GCS was adapted specifically for the forestry sector, focusing on risk awareness and reporting rather than clearance execution. The training equips forestry workers and managers to recognise indicators of explosive contamination, assess risk and report findings through structured channels to the relevant authorities.

More than 300 forestry workers and leaders completed the training through a combination of online modules and inperson sessions, allowing the programme to reach staff across a wide geographic area while remaining compatible with operational demands.

The flexible, modular structure of the PEAR programme was identified as particularly suitable for large organisations with dispersed workforces, enabling training to be scaled further across the forestry sector.

Supporting recovery and conservation

The PEAR training initiative supports safer daytoday operations in contaminated forest areas while clearance activities continue elsewhere. By strengthening awareness and reporting capability, the programme reduces exposure to risk and supports informed decisionmaking during inspection, maintenance and environmental protection work.

The training was supported by DEG Impulse as part of the develoPPP programme, with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Through sectorspecific PEAR training, GCS complements clearance operations by helping national authorities manage explosive risk responsibly, enabling progress on environmental recovery and long-term land stewardship.