Experts will support Ukrainian cities in rebuilding the damage after the war | Gdańsk University of Technology

Apart from prof. Krzysztof Wilde, rector of Gdańsk Tech and vice-president of the Pomeranian District Chamber of Civil Engineers, the meeting organized at Gdańsk University of Technology was also attended by: Jurij Żerlicyn from the Ukrainian Association of Water and Sewerage Management and the coordinator of technical assistance in this area for Ukraine, Ryszard Gajewski (president of the municipal company Gdańskie Wody), Ryszard Trykosko (vice president of the NDI group), Alicja Loch-Dzido (president of the Gdańsk Water Foundation), Kazimierz Owedyk (chairman of OKR POIIB) and Arkadiusz Ostojski, professor at Gdańsk Tech, specialist in water installations.

Aid for cities affected by war

Specialists in the field of civil engineering, hydraulic engineering as well as melioration and water supply discussed what kind of specialized aid measures they could offer to the inhabitants of Ukraine.

– Ukrainian cities and their inhabitants have been in the war zone for almost a month as a result of the unfair and cruel aggression of the Russian troops - said Prof. Krzysztof Wilde, rector of Gdańsk Tech. – Many cities and their infrastructure are currently being destroyed by the Russian army. Cities will need to be rebuilt, and we want to offer our help. Together with specialists from Gdańsk Waters, the Pomeranian District Chamber of Civil Engineers and other representatives of the industry, we want to propose solutions that will quickly and effectively translate into improving the everyday life of Ukrainian residents after the end of the war – added the Gdańsk Tech rector.

The initiative that would combine the capabilities and competences of specialists in the discussed area was suggested a few days earlier by the president of the municipal company Gdańskie Wody, Ryszard Gajewski, who addressed the expert community through social media.

– Refugees from Ukraine should know that they will have somewhere to return to and that they can count on our support – said President Gajewski during the meeting at Gdańsk Tech. – In recent years, many Ukrainians have lived with us in Poland. They helped build our country and our prosperity through their work. After the war, the infrastructure in Ukrainian cities will require quick reconstruction, and we can share our knowledge on water supply, sewage disposal or flood protection. Ukraine will also have to rebuild bridges, roads and buildings, and specialists from Gdańsk Tech and POIIB can help a lot in all of these fields, he added.

Will specialists from Gdańsk be the first ones to offer help?

Yurij Żerlicyn, who represented the Ukrainian side during the meeting, emphasized in turn that the initiative of the Gdańsk experts had a chance to be one of the first to really help the government in Kiev after the possible withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

– If we are properly prepared and present specific proposals to the government, the solutions we have developed can be implemented in the first place – emphasized Yuriy Żerlicyn during the meeting. – It is already known that cities such as Mariupol, Czernichów, Hostomel, Bucza or Irpin will need quick and ready-made reconstruction scenarios. It is very important to start preparing for the future needs of the Ukrainian people now, he added.

Joint assistance system for Ukraine

The participants of the meeting emphasized that it is necessary to start preparing for this type of activities now, as they require appropriate organization and planning, and – in some cases – learning the Ukrainian language.

The result of the meeting at Gdańsk Tech was therefore also a declaration that specialists from Gdańsk Tech, POIIB and Gdańsk Waters will soon develop a joint voluntary aid system that will allow the sharing of knowledge, skills, experience and broadly understood know-how with the authorities of Ukrainian cities. Specialists from the industries in question, willing to join the project, can apply now by sending a declaration to the following address: pomocdlaukrainy@gdanskiewody.pl.