Over the 30 years that have passed since the Chernobyl disaster, the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone (the Zone) has undergone significant changes. Hot-button momentary decisions were replaced by the well-considered and verified methodological approaches aimed at overcoming the consequences of the accident and distributed across numerous state programs and investment projects. However, the positive effect of such programs and projects will be limited, until we tackle the key task—defining the directions for the development of the territory with due regard to the opening possibilities, its features, and potential.
Contamination of the territory due to the Chernobyl disaster tends to vary greatly, often even within a specific facility or a local area. Therefore, artificially simplified assessment of the Zone's potential and the possibilities it provides results in a “blind zone” of over 2,500 sq. km lost to people for centuries.
Instead, the Zone must be transformed from a depressed territory into a practically-directed progressive research cluster. The exclusion zone can become a unique “open-air laboratory”, an economically self-sufficient and efficient territory, and an example of environmental responsibility.
As formulated by the Chornobyl Research and Development Institute regarding the exclusion zone, the main idea here is to transition from tragedy through overcoming its consequences to sustainable development.
