Ukraine war: ‘Ecological catastrophe’ – Five environmental impacts of Nova Kakhovka dam collapse

The collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine will have profound and far-reaching consequences, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calling it an “environmental bomb of mass destruction”.

Here are five ways the incident is expected to impact the country, from immediate emergency issues to long-term problems.

Drinking water

The reservoir that is now draining away was once one of the largest in Ukraine.

Much of the southern part of the country and Russian-annexed Crimea relied on it for fresh water.

Depending on how low the water levels go, there are likely to be severe impacts on access to fresh water for hundreds of thousands of residents.

Farm flooding and irrigation

Fields downriver from the dam will suffer from the immediate problem of flooding and crop destruction, but the other potentially more serious issue is that about half a million acres of fertile farmland rely on the Kakhovka reservoir for irrigation.

If farmers lose water for their crops during the summer months, there could be severe knock-on effects on food production and security.

Energy

A major hydropower plant connected to the dam on the Dnipro River has been severely damaged.

There are concerns that oil and chemicals from this plant are already spilling into the river.

Officials are also closely watching a nearby nuclear power station which relies on water from the river for cooling, although the International Atomic Energy Agency has stressed that the plant has other means to keep reactors and fuel rods cool for at least the next few months.

Displacement

President Zelenskyy has said that between 35 to 80 settlements, towns and villages are expected to flood, making the immediate aid effort challenging.

Depending on the scale of the damage, the flooding will leave already vulnerable people homeless while communities are rebuilt.

Experts have also warned that because the flooded area is on the front lines, mines that have been planted along the riverbanks and in the surrounding lands may be swept away and repositioned elsewhere.

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Whole villages and towns engulfed by torrent of water

Ecosystems and animals

It is difficult to know the scale of the impact yet on the delicate and important ecosystems downriver of the dam, including the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve and the Oleshky Sands National Nature Park.

Ukraine’s defence ministry has also said that the flooding has killed around 300 animals at the Nova Kakhovka zoo.

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called the flooding an “ecological catastrophe”.

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