SKAT supports reconstruction in Ukraine by drawing on existing networks

The Russian invasion of Ukraine caused unbelievable suffering and destruction. Public service facilities have been systematically targeted, resulting in widespread interruptions to electricity and water supply.

2022 – Reconstruction of houses and water systems

Immediately after the start of the invasion, we assessed how SKAT could contribute to the humanitarian response. Reconstruction of houses and water systems belongs to SKAT’s core expertise. Furthermore, for over 14 years, SKAT had implemented the DESPRO programme, a governance and decentralisation initiative funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), which allowed us to draw on long-term experience and well‑established networks in Ukraine.

The first activities were launched in May 2022 and continuously expanded. They covered the repair or upgrade of shelters for Internally Displaced People (IDPs), water systems, and damaged homes. For the repair of damaged houses, the households remained in charge of the works, while our programme provided them with financial and technical support and guidance. This “Cash‑for‑Repair” approach was relatively light in logistics and could be easily upscaled.

Unlike many humanitarian actors, SKAT and its partner DESPRO NGO were used to collaborating closely with municipalities in Ukraine, based on our decades of experience in decentralisation and local governance. This experience helped us work in close coordination with municipal authorities, enabling them to respond better to the crisis and further strengthening local governance. REFAUK is therefore an excellent example of how SKAT and its partners can provide sustainable assistance throughout the Humanitarian–Development Nexus.

2023 – Circular reconstruction in Ukraine: Assessing potentials and understanding limitations

Debris from demolished housing is typically disposed of in landfill sites. Beyond the environmental challenges of responsible landfill management, this wastes construction materials that might otherwise be recycled or reused. In 2023, together with partners Helvetas and ReThink, SKAT conducted a study to assess the potential for reusing materials from damaged buildings in Ukraine, taking into account local industrial, regulatory, and economic conditions. Together with partner Zero Waste Kharkiv, SKAT supported the establishment of a building materials depot where reclaimed materials are stored, upcycled, and redistributed.

2024 and 2025 – Exploring reuse of concrete for reconstruction in Ukraine

SKAT has partnered with the Ukraine Waste Recycling Association (UAWRA) and the Structural Xploration Laboratory (SXL) of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) to investigate the reuse of concrete in Ukrainian reconstruction, with funding from the EPFL Tech4Dev programme. Building on SKAT’s combined experience of building repair and circular reconstruction in Ukraine, we are working with municipalities and demolition contractors to introduce techniques for demolition audits and the reclamation and testing of precast concrete panels from damaged Soviet‑era housing. This work will continue in 2026 with the piloting of selective deconstruction procedures and the testing of reclaimed concrete panels, with the results supporting a cost–benefit analysis of precast concrete panel reclamation.

Registration of SKAT Consulting Ukraine, LLC.

Our branch, SKAT Ukraine LLC, allows us to coordinate our ongoing efforts more effectively, respond to the needs of our partners, and foster partnerships that support the reconstruction of Ukraine.

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