Ukraine and JICA Will Establish a Network of Laboratories for Soil Analysis Following Demining
Ukraine and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have agreed to establish a Center of Excellence for Soil Analysis and discussed the implementation of a pilot project to prioritize humanitarian demining in the Izyum district of Kharkiv Oblast. This was reported on July 28 by the Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine.
According to the ministry, the Center will not function as a separate institution but as a network of Ukrainian laboratories and research institutions that will operate using standardized methods for soil sampling and analysis. This is intended to facilitate the safe return of land to agricultural use following demining.
The plan is to make the Ukrainian Institute of Soil Protection the network’s lead institution. At the same time, JICA will consider the possibility of involving international experts and organizing training for Ukrainian specialists in Japan.
During the meetings, the parties also discussed the implementation of a pilot project in the Izyum District of Kharkiv Oblast, where the GRIT system is being used to identify priority areas for demining. As part of this cooperation, plans include testing an AI-based module for assessing damage to buildings, as well as to update the system’s socio-economic methodology in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to support smallholder farms.
Special attention was given to involving women in mine action. JICA will present the results of a study tour to Japan—organized as part of the Women, Peace, and Security initiative—to the newly established gender working group in Ukraine.
JICA is a Japanese government agency that implements programs for official development assistance, technical cooperation, and the reconstruction of Ukraine. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the agency has been supporting Ukrainian projects in the fields of energy, humanitarian demining, healthcare, education, agriculture, infrastructure, and economic recovery. In early July, JICA also announced the preparation of new programs to support small and medium-sized businesses in Ukraine, which include technical assistance and the launch of financial instruments to promote entrepreneurship.
This was reported by the Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine.
As a reminder, the international organization suspended demining operations in Ukraine following the deaths of its staff members.
On July 20, two National Police bomb disposal experts were killed during a demining operation in the Kharkiv region.
