How can the professional community respond to Ukraine?

When the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is over, as it one day must eventually be, there will be need for reconstruction of roads, bridges, buildings, infrastructure, power generation and transmission, as well as social services, the economy generally, schools, lives. All of this could be done prior to the war by the Ukrainians themselves, with the vast existing in-country talent and professionals. However, as with all conflicts and disasters, in the aftermath of mass tragic events as we now see them unfolding, those same individuals will be coping with their own personal tragedies and needs. Many will be emotionally unavailable, seeking to adjust to the new reality they just experienced as well as the new reality with which they will be confronted.

?While there will be a good deal of assistance provided by friendly governments, there will also be specific local needs which may be overlooked, or require urgency, and cannot wait for the slow machinery of bureaucracy to fulfill its promise.

?The “usual suspects” of NGO’s, such as the Red Cross, Oxfam, Médecins Sans Frontiers, International Rescue Committee and many others will, no doubt be very busy. However, they often do not have the necessary in-house professional skills to deal with emergent situations. In my own area, I think of damaged buildings needing rapid evaluation to determine their safety for habitation. There is the water and power infrastructure which will need rapid evaluation for temporary repairs, well before full repair and/or replacement can be enacted.

I therefore call upon our professional organizations and societies, such as the American Society Civil Engineers, Institution of Mechanical Engineers,?Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and all other national and international technical and professional organizations, including environmental, plumbing, safety, architectural, transportation and more to seek volunteers from within their membership who wish to help mitigate the effects of the conflict and assist the Ukrainian citizenry to recover. Inter-institutional communications will be needed. A roster of individuals on which Ukraine can call, whether for remote or in-country assistance, will need to?be established. Possible funding for expenses may need to be raised. The time to organize this is today, not tomorrow. Now, not later. Before the need is fully known, not after the crisis exists and festers.

Take action. If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?