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The destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in June 2023 was an unmitigated disaster for southern Ukraine. And not just in human terms – the environment has been devastated too.

Floodwaters, oil leaks, and desalination are taking their toll on areas below the dam, including the UNESCO-protected Nizhnyodniprovskyi National Nature Park. Upstream, the sudden loss of reservoir water may turn wetlands into desert, and cause dust pollution in the air. How can these changes be managed? And what might it mean for Europe beyond Ukraine? We take a look at Kakhovka’s history and try to assess what the future will bring.

Find out more about the consequences of desertification in our videos on the Great Salt Lake and Aral Sea.

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Videos about disappearing bodies of water:

Great Salt Lake:    • Why this Lake is a Ticking Nuclear Ti...  
Aral Sea:    • How the Soviets Transformed Nature (a...  
Nile River:    • Why Egypt's lifeline is drying up | N...  
Amur River:    • How the China-Russia Conflict Shaped ...  

00:00 Intro
00:30 Overview: Can the dam and reservoir be restored?
01:49 History of the Kakhovka Reservoir and dam construction
02:43 Dam and reservoir stats
03:27 Kakhovka dam on the frontline & destruction
04:41 Consequences divided in 2 parts: floods & droughts
08:14 What does this mean for local wildlife?
09:36 Shall we leave the Dineper River withouth the dam?

🔗 Sources:

(1) Maxar News Bureau https://www.maxar.com/news-bureau
(2) Le Monde: Ukraine: Fears of environmental disaster after Kakhovka dam destruction https://www.lemonde.fr/en/environment...
(3) Researchgate: Odessa State Environmental University: Mariia Slizhe et al: Synoptic Conditions for Dry Winds in August 2010 in Ukraine - The main agriclimatic zones. https://www.researchgate.net/publicat...
(4) Defense Express: 1943 Maps Show What Ukraine's Kakhovka Reservoir Will Look Like When the Waters Settle Down. https://en.defence-ua.com/news/1943_m...
(5) BBC News: What attacks have there been on dams in Ukraine? https://www.bbc.com/news/world-65753136
(6) The Guardian: Nova Kakhovka dam: everything you need to know about Ukraine’s strategically important reservoir https://www.theguardian.com/world/202...
(7) UN OCHA UKRAINE HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE 2023: https://reports.unocha.org/en/country...
(8) UA TV: National Park is 80% flooded. https://uatv.ua/en/national-park-is-8...
(9) Wim Zwijnenburg, PAX Report: A Preliminary Environmental Risk Assessment of the Kakhovka Dam Flooding. https://paxvoorvrede.nl/wp-content/up...
(10) UA TV: The National Nature Reserve Park - YouTube T6aXWwF93W0
(11) EcoPolitic: 150 tons of engine oil from the Kakhovka HPP entered the Dnipro Riverhttps://ecopolitic.com.ua/en/news/u-r...
(12) Ukrainska Pravda: Black Sea desalination begins due to explosion at Kakhovka HPP – State Ecological Inspectorate https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/20...
(13) Yahoo! News: Velykyi Luh and Kamianska Sich parks draining, nitrite levels in Inhulets River rise - https://news.yahoo.com/velykyi-luh-ka...
(14) UA TV: Nyzhnyosulsk National Park - YouTube qW7hh5SDs8k
(15) EcoPolitic: Tens of thousands of birds and wild animals may die in Ukraine: https://ecopolitic.com.ua/en/news/v-u...
(16) Ramsar Sites Information Service: Archipelago Velyki and Mali Kuchugury - https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/2282#:~:t....

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