Located in southern Ukraine near the Black Sea, Mykolaiv covers 260 km² and is home to around 474,000 residents, including nearly 50,000 internally displaced persons.
Historically an industrial and shipbuilding hub, the city now focuses on resilience, energy independence, and sustainable recovery.
Despite significant war damage, Mykolaiv’s leadership has used the crisis as an opportunity to rebuild smarter, prioritising decentralised power, green mobility, and climate-adapted infrastructure.
Mykolaiv has faced large-scale destruction of housing, water systems, and energy infrastructure, compounded by the ecological consequences of the Kakhovka Dam explosion, which disrupted groundwater and water supply. The city’s economy also suffered from massive business outflows and population displacement.
To respond, Mykolaiv is rebuilding with a climate-conscious approach, creating energy islands, installing renewable power at critical facilities, and adopting sustainable infrastructure standards. The city integrates recovery with long-term adaptation planning, ensuring that reconstruction supports both resilience and decarbonisation.
Public participation is central to Mykolaiv’s recovery. The city promotes open dialogue on climate priorities and reconstruction needs through community forums, media campaigns, and digital consultations.
Mykolaiv’s recovery agenda is supported by strong international partnerships. Mykolaiv cooperates with more than 50 international organisations as well as more than 20 sister cities. Cooperation with Denmark is unique as it is partnership between state and city.These collaborations connect Mykolaiv to global networks of expertise, accelerating project design and funding access.
Mykolaiv faces major barriers, including limited fiscal capacity, bureaucratic hurdles, and the need for legislative reform to enable local energy exchange within microgrids. Security conditions constrain project implementation, and business recovery remains slow.
Despite these obstacles, the city continues to prioritise transparency, technical planning, and international collaboration to sustain its progress.
