Wartime Environmental App in Ukraine and the Tren Maya Project in Mexico

The Ukrainian authorities have developed a mobile application that allows citizens to report environmental crimes committed by Russians during the war. These can include fires or toxic leaks. The application also provides Ukrainians with the latest information on air, soil, and water pollution, as well as radiation. So far, Ukrainians have recorded 5,000 cases of ecocide, including the blowing up of the Dnieper dam in Veliky Kakhovka. The damage has been estimated at over 56 billion euros. 

The unique system of 10,000 underground caves, rivers, and lakes under the southern part of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico is threatened by the construction of the Tren Maya project, or the Mayan Train, a 1,460 km long railway line. Along the railway line, there are cenotes – water-filled sinkholes characteristic of the plains of Mexico and Cuba. Initially planned for more urban areas, the new railway line was moved deeper into the jungle after complaints from hotel owners. This placed it above the most important cave system in the country. Millions of trees were also destroyed, part of the largest rainforest in America after the Amazon. 

The caves are also a significant water source in the region, and in 2022, archaeologists discovered some of the oldest human remains in North America. Scientists and environmentalists warn that the Mayan Train and mass tourism will cause long-term environmental ruin, and that the railway project itself is an example of ecocide.