Ukraine and Japan deepen cooperation in demining, land restoration, and technology development

From identifying priority contaminated areas in Izium to assessing soil conditions for the safe return of land to agricultural use — Ukraine and Japan are strengthening cooperation at all stages of territory recovery. These issues were central during two working meetings between Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy and Environment and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

“Cleared land must become suitable for use. To achieve this, it is necessary to set priorities based on community needs, assess soil safety, and combine demining with recovery planning and economic activity. Cooperation with JICA helps us integrate these components and strengthen Ukraine’s capacity in the long term,” said Ihor Bezkaravanyi, Deputy Minister of Economy and Environment of Ukraine.

The parties discussed the implementation of a pilot project in the Izium district, including the schedule of recovery works and necessary safety measures. The GRIT system, along with consultations with local communities, is already being used to identify priority land plots.

Ukraine is developing GRIT as a prioritization system that combines humanitarian demining data with information on infrastructure damage and the socio-economic situation. During the meetings, the parties discussed piloting a building damage assessment module based on artificial intelligence, as well as updating GRIT economic and social methodology in Kharkiv region. A separate focus was on the potential use of system data to identify small farms and rural households that may need support within a future FAO and WFP pilot project.

The next step after demining is confirmation that cleared land can be safely returned to use.

To achieve this, Ukraine and JICA discussed the creation of a Soil Analysis Center of Excellence. This is not about establishing a new institution, but rather forming a network of Ukrainian laboratories and scientific institutions that will work under unified methodologies for sampling, analysis, and soil condition assessment.

It is expected that the Institute for Soil Protection of Ukraine will serve as the base institution of the network, with the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine and other laboratories potentially joining. JICA will consider supporting this initiative, including through the involvement of international experts, training programs, and study visits to Japan.

In addition, JICA plans to present to Ukraine’s newly established Gender Working Group the results of a study visit to Japan under the Women, Peace and Security initiative. The working group will develop practical recommendations to expand women’s participation in mine action.

During the meetings, both sides confirmed a shared vision: humanitarian demining must not only ensure the clearance of territories but also create tangible benefits for communities, farmers, and Ukraine’s economy as a whole. Ukraine highly values its partnership with JICA in developing technologies, expert capacity, and institutional resilience necessary to achieve this goal.