Collapse of Ukraine’s Kakhovka dam

Subject : International Relations

Concept : Places in news

Nova Kakhovka Dam

The 3.2-kilometre (two-mile) long and 30-metre (98-foot) high Kakhovka Dam was constructed in 1956 as a component of the Khakhovka Hydroelectric Power Project.
The Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant is in the city of Nova Kakhovka in the Kherson region, which is currently under Russian control.
The dam’s reservoir provides water to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactor, which is also under Russian control, as well as the Crimean peninsula, which Russia has claimed as its own since 2014. For details on the Russian annexation of Crimea, check the link.
The reservoir has a capacity of 18 cubic km, which is equivalent to the size of Utah’s Great Salt Lake.

Ongoing Issue:

The floodwaters inundated (cover land with water) dozens of towns and villages on both sides of the river, displacing thousands of people and damaging infrastructure, crops and livestock.
The water level also rose in the Dniprovska Gulf, a bay of the Black Sea near Kherson city, threatening coastal areas with erosion and salinization.
The explosion also cut off electricity to millions of people and disrupted water supplies to Crimea and Zaporizhzhia.

Ecololgical Impacts of the collapse

Being billed as an ‘ecocide’, the damage from the dam collapse is multifold.
Not only are the areas around the Dnipro River inundated with at least 18 feet of water, but the flooding also runs the risk of contaminating freshwater sources and the Black Sea basin and spreading diseases.
The dwindling water level of the Kakhovka reservoir also threatens the agricultural lands of southern Ukraine that depend on the reservoir to feed into the canals used for irrigation.

Floods and destruction

Ukrainian officials estimate that about 42,000 people are at risk on both sides of the river. While the left bank of the Dnipro River remains under Ukrainian control, the right side is controlled by the Russians.
Animals are most vulnerable to the fast-moving water, as rescue efforts are largely focused on people. The 300 animals residing at Kazkova Dibrova Zoo on the Russian-held riverbank have died after the region was flooded.
Downstream, the flooding will also impact territorial flora and fauna. The rise in water will increase soil salinity, making it unfit for vegetation.

Pollution

Around 600-800 tons of oil may be floating in the floodwaters, creating a toxic environment for wildlife.
Moreover, as water moves along, it will collect large amounts of pollutants from sewage, industries, gas stations and agricultural lands, and deposit them into freshwater resources.
The pollutants are likely to cause microbes and algae to spread over the surface of the water. This also leads to an increase in diseases, with the most common ones being diarrhoea or skin infection.
Eventually, the water will flow into the Black Sea. The entry of freshwater and pollutants is likely to disturb the marine ecosystem.

Impact on Agriculture

The flooding is likely to make arable lands unfit for agriculture for years to come due to increased salinity in the soil, as well as contamination of irrigation canals.
This might be a setback for Ukraine’s grain production, as the southeastern belt around the Dnipro River is cultivated for wheat and millet.
Kherson on its accounts for eight per cent of soybean production, according to data provided by the US Department of Agriculture. Besides, barley and sunflower are also produced in the region.
Often called the “bread basket” of the world, 64 per cent of Ukraine’s wheat is exported to developing countries, including many in Africa.
The onset of war has in fact raised concerns over global food security and in July 2022, a grain deal was signed between the warring countries to allow the passage of grains through the Black Sea.