FINALIST SOLUTION
Finalists for Beginner Awards: Social impact and Disruptive technology
Restoration of natural resources of Kharkiv region
Solution details
The proposed solution is a GIS-based monitoring and restoration platform designed to assess and recover degraded land and water ecosystems, focusing on the Trav’yanske Reservoir in the Kharkiv region. Using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite data (2021–2025), the system integrates NDWI and NDVI analytical models to automatically classify damaged areas with approximately 90% accuracy.
The platform combines satellite data processing, spatial modeling, and visualization tools to support data-driven decision-making in environmental recovery.
Main components:
-A satellite monitoring module tracking changes in water balance and vegetation;
-Automated analysis and classification of NDWI/NDVI data;
-An interactive GIS portal with recovery maps and recommendations;
-A decision-support panel for communities and environmental agencies.
Implementation plan:Pilot testing at the Trav’yanske Reservoir.
Integration with local land and environmental management systems.
Capacity building for local authorities and students in GIS technologies.
Scaling the solution to other war-affected regions (Sumy and Mykolaiv).Required resources: ESA satellite data, GIS servers, analytical software (QGIS, ArcGIS Pro, Google Earth Engine), and a multidisciplinary team of GIS, ecology, and IT experts.
Potential challenges: Limited access to high-resolution imagery and sustainable funding for long-term operation.
Tweet / Slogan
Recovery begins with unity
Resources
The solution requires satellite data, GIS software, analytical tools and a multidisciplinary team to ensure accurate monitoring, modelling and implementation of the recovery process.
Context
The challenge we are solving is the rapid and objective assessment of environmental damage in war-affected regions of Ukraine, specifically the Kharkiv region. Military actions have destroyed reservoirs, disrupted hydrological systems, accelerated soil erosion and caused a large-scale loss of vegetation. Traditional field assessments are slow, unsafe and resource-intensive. Our solution addresses this by applying GIS technologies and Sentinel satellite data to automatically detect degradation, monitor ecosystem changes and identify priority zones for restoration. By transforming raw satellite imagery into actionable recovery maps, we provide communities and environmental agencies with a safe, fast and scientifically grounded tool for planning reclamation. The project aligns with the DigiEduHack 2025 theme by demonstrating how digital innovation and spatial intelligence can support sustainable reconstruction and climate-resilient land management.
Who Benefits?
The primary target groups of our solution are local communities, environmental authorities, educators and students in geodesy, ecology and GIS-related fields. Communities benefit from rapid, safe and data-driven assessment of war-damaged territories, enabling informed decisions on land and water restoration. Environmental agencies gain access to automated monitoring tools that significantly reduce fieldwork time and improve the accuracy of ecosystem evaluations. Educators and learners benefit through hands-on experience with real satellite data, GIS analytics and digital recovery models, strengthening digital literacy and practical skills in environmental management. The solution supports society as a whole by accelerating ecological rehabilitation, improving local resilience and promoting sustainable land use.
Impact
Our solution delivers environmental, social and educational impact by enabling fast, safe and data-driven recovery of war-affected ecosystems. Environmentally, the use of NDWI/NDVI analytics helps identify degraded zones, restore water bodies and stabilize vegetation, reducing erosion and improving hydrological balance. Socially, communities gain reliable information for planning restoration activities and rebuilding local infrastructure. Educationally, students and specialists enhance their GIS and remote-sensing skills through real datasets and applied analytical workflows.
Impact is measured through:
• accuracy of automated classification (≈90%);
• reduction of time required for environmental assessment (from weeks to hours);
• number of restored hectares of land and water bodies;
• community engagement indicators (participants, workshops, local initiatives);
• skill development metrics for students and authorities (completed trainings, GIS tasks performed).
Together, these indicators demonstrate measurable progress in ecological recovery and digital capacity building.
Team work
Our team unites six motivated students with complementary expertise in GIS, geodesy, cartography, ecology, remote sensing and data engineering. Each member contributes a specific skill: GIS modelling, satellite data interpretation, environmental assessment, communication, visualisation and technical support for analytical tools. This multidisciplinary structure allows us to develop a complete workflow — from data acquisition to decision-support mapping.
Our teamwork is based on shared responsibility, rapid coordination and a clear division of roles, which ensures efficient development of the solution. We plan to continue working together beyond the hackathon, using this collaboration as the foundation for further academic research, university projects and regional GIS initiatives. Our long-term goal is to evolve the prototype into a scalable platform that supports environmental recovery across multiple Ukrainian regions, combining student expertise with community needs.
Innovativeness
Our solution is innovative because it combines automated satellite-based analysis, GIS modeling and community-oriented restoration planning into a single workflow designed specifically for post-war recovery. Unlike typical mapping tools that only visualize data, our system integrates NDWI/NDVI-based classification, multi-criteria prioritization (MCDM) and a GIS-driven decision-support model that identifies damaged areas with high accuracy and generates targeted restoration recommendations.
While separate GIS platforms exist, none provide a ready-to-use, conflict-adapted framework for rapid assessment of destroyed reservoirs, degraded landscapes and hydrological disruption. The innovation lies in merging digital education, real-time spatial intelligence and environmental restoration into one scalable approach. The model reduces the need for dangerous fieldwork, accelerates analysis from weeks to hours and empowers both experts and students to participate in data-driven ecological recovery.
Transferability
The solution is highly transferable because its core components—satellite monitoring, GIS analysis, NDWI/NDVI classification and decision-support mapping—can be applied to a wide range of educational, environmental and territorial management contexts. Beyond post-war recovery, the same workflow can be used in teaching geography, ecology, environmental engineering, agriculture, climate monitoring and urban planning.
For example, the NDVI/NDWI models can support forest health monitoring, wetland conservation, flood-risk assessment or drought analysis. The participatory GIS approach can be integrated into university courses, school STEM programs, citizen-science initiatives or municipal planning activities.
By adjusting the datasets and thematic layers, the platform can be replicated for other regions or disciplines, making it a flexible tool for digital education, environmental management and spatial decision-making.
Sustainability
The implementation of the solution is planned in three stages: pilot testing, regional scaling and long-term integration. In the short term, the platform will be validated at the Trav’yanske Reservoir through data collection, NDWI/NDVI analysis and creation of recovery maps for local authorities. In the mid-term, the system will be expanded to other war-affected regions such as Sumy and Mykolaiv, supported by training programs for communities, students and environmental agencies. In the long term, the solution is envisioned as an open, continuously updated digital ecosystem that integrates new satellite data, automated monitoring tools and community-driven feedback. Its sustainability is strengthened through the use of freely available Sentinel data, open-source GIS tools, academic collaboration and regional partnerships, ensuring long-lasting impact on environmental recovery and digital education in Ukraine.