Ukrainian hydrologist warns 'south in critical state': Should Kakhovka dam be restored?
Should the Kakhovka Reservoir be restored? (Photo: Getty Images)
It will only be possible to fully discuss the reconstruction of the Kakhovka Reservoir once Ukraine regains complete control over the south. At the same time, a range of aspects must be taken into account: hydrological, environmental, economic, and others, according to an interview with Oksana Konovalenko, head of the Water" direction at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Ukraine.
Reconstruction of the Kakhovka Reservoir
According to her, leading scientific institutions and academies of sciences emphasize the need for an interdisciplinary approach that will cover hydrological, environmental, economic, engineering, and social aspects. Various scenarios for the restoration or transformation of the reservoir are already being developed.
"It is entirely possible that by the time Ukraine fully regains control over the south, new requirements will emerge regarding water volumes or technologies that would allow the project to be implemented in a more environmentally sustainable way. For now, this remains an open question," Konovalenko noted.
She also stressed that southern and eastern Ukraine are in a critical situation, as since the 1950s all local infrastructure was built with access to water from the Kakhovka Reservoir in mind.
"Two years after the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, water supply was restored in almost all communities of the affected areas. On June 18, 2024, residents of Marganets and Pokrov received centralized water supply," Konovalenko added.
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Kakhovka Reservoir after the dam was blown up by Russia (photo: Getty Images)
Earlier, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine, geobotanist Yakiv Didukh, who conducted expeditions at the site of the Kakhovka Reservoir, said that the reservoir’s bottom is overgrown with a unique willow forest. In 20 years, it will become the largest willow stand in Europe.
Also read about what is happening now at the Kakhovka Reservoir site and what the future forecasts are.
