SCOTLAND, United Kingdom — The Russian invasion of Ukraine led to a humanitarian crisis. As a full-scale war continues for over a year, water quality is another major issue that needs attention. Each day, shellings, minefields and mass graves directly affect Ukraine’s water resources.
What is the Problem?
Due to the war, the Ukrainian water resources cannot carry out their functions. The Dnipro River is the main water artery of Ukraine. It goes along the country’s center from north to south and falls into the Black Sea. The river is one of the main water resources in Ukraine with a rich variety of aquatic life.
As of 2019, the Dnipro River provided potable water for 70% of Ukraine’s population. To date, 5 million people do not have access to drinking water. The river is also the center of the country’s industrial sector. For many people from the territories adjacent to the Dnipro River, fishing was the main part of their income, serving enterprises and farms.
Ukraine also has access to the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. These territories have unique coasts, estuaries and bays which are home to hundreds of rare marine species. The sea enables Ukraine to do fishing for exportation. In 2018, from January to September, Ukraine exported a total of 454 tons of frozen fish worth $1 million. Ukraine sells fish mainly to Moldova, Hungary, Romania, Azerbaijan and Germany.
What are the Consequences of the War?
Сonstant shelling has worsened water quality in Ukraine. All dangerous substances from explosions and mine detonation, as well as military artillery, fall into the Dnipro River, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Nature Resources of Ukraine. In addition, mass burials permeate and pollute underground waters. In some regions, people do not have access to clean water because they do not have proper water filters.
The Kakhovka hydroelectric power station regulates the flow of the Dnipro River and the water supply of the surrounding regions. Because the Russian army has occupied the southeastern part of Ukraine and the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station, the water level in the Kakhovka reservoir has dropped by almost two meters. This power plant is also the beginning of the Pivnichno-Kryms’kyi Channel, which irrigates the entire south of Ukraine.
The drought in the southern territories of Ukraine will affect harvests in Fall 2023. There is a particular threat that the country will not be able to provide enough food for people without external help. Moreover, a massive amount of fish is thrown onto the shores, which can lead to disease outbreaks.
What is the Impact on the World?
Water quality in Ukraine has serious repercussions for other countries. In 2021, Ukraine was the fifth largest grain exporter. Due to insufficient irrigation, the country will not be able to supply enough grain. Fish exports are also limited.
For neighboring countries, the war on Ukraine territories poses an immediate threat. All chemicals that enter the Dnipro River then fall into the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Furthermore, military actions on the territory of the Black Sea lead to the sinking of ships and the leakage of oil from them. In this way, pollution spreads throughout the seas and reaches neighboring countries.
What are the Solutions?
There are no immediate solutions to resolve the problem of water quality in Ukraine. As long as the war continues, Ukrainian water resources and accordingly, people, are in danger. Russian occupants are threatening to blow up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station, which will lead to the flooding of more than 80 settlements in Ukraine.
On October 20, 2022, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy addressed the European Council. He emphasized that international services should constantly monitor Ukraine’s Kakhovka hydroelectric power station and ensure that it is demined at once.
However, the fishing industry has prospects to evolve. The State Agency for Fisheries in Ukraine is the organization that is responsible for the fishing industry in the country. To date, the agency stocked the Teresva River in the west of Ukraine with trout.
Also, there was a compensatory stocking of white carp and silver carp in the Kamianske Reservoir in the south of Ukraine. A total of 184 kg of fish was added. As of April 2023, because of the rains, the water level in the cross-border Danube River has risen. Danube basin reservoirs, which are adjacent to the Danube River, filled up again. They are responsible for the irrigation of the southern regions of Ukraine.
The danger of impoverishment threatens the population of Ukraine. Currently, export from Ukraine is blocked due to the possibility of a Russian attack from the Black Sea. Apart from the national economic crisis, locals cannot continue their industries and provide themselves with food. In the occupied territories, people do not have access to food and water. Now people can still find these essentials in the Dnipro River and the seas, but soon this option will not be available.
– Anna Konovalenko