Invasion pressures severely impact environmental activism in post-Soviet states, forcing adaptation or cessation of work.
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The article introduces a series examining how the full-scale invasion of Ukraine has affected environmental activism in Belarus, Georgia, and Ukraine, and suggests ways for activists to continue their work during these challenging times. The Russian government’s ambition to establish authoritarian regimes across post-Soviet territories has intensified pressure on civil society globally. In Eastern Europe, environmental initiatives have faced unprecedented challenges due to war, repression, policy rollbacks, the rise of pro-government organizations, and shifts toward authoritarianism, even as climate change intensifies.
In Belarus, the Lukashenko regime systematically eliminated environmental NGOs following political unrest in 2021, blacklisting them as “enemies of the fatherland.” Major organizations like Ecodom and Akhova Ptushak Batskaushchyny were liquidated or labeled extremist, halting crucial conservation efforts, such as those protecting the Polesia wetlands. Activists have been arrested, and many experts have fled the country. While some activists continue their work in exile through projects like the Youth Climate Council, they face severe obstacles. These include domestic human rights crises, reduced international financial support due to regional conflicts, and systemic difficulties in achieving meaningful impact, leading to burnout and threatening the survival of the Belarusian environmental movement without external recognition and aid.
