Ukraine: crops, ecosystems… After the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, what consequences for the environment?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not hesitate to speak of a « écocide brutal ». On Tuesday, the partial destruction of the Kakhovka dam in a Russian-occupied area in southern Ukraine, for which Moscow and Kiev blame each other, caused flooding along the Dnieper. The authorities fear a humanitarian disaster, but also an ecological one, between consequences on agricultural land and threats to ecosystems. “L’Obs” takes stock.

• Risks for crops

The destruction of this hydroelectric dam caused waterspouts to pour into the Kherson region, causing flooding both in the areas controlled by Kiev and in those occupied by Moscow, located on each bank of the Dnieper River. “More than 40,000 people risk being in flooded areas”according to Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriï Kostin.

According to Denys Chmygal, Ukrainian Prime Minister, “dozens of towns and villages will find themselves plagued by problems of drinking water and access to water supplies for irrigation, which will lead to droughts and crop failures”.

Several tens of thousands of hectares of farmland in the region are at risk of flooding, Ukraine’s agriculture ministry said in a statement, saying it fears fields in the south of the country will completely dry out as early as next year. due to the destruction of the dam. A « menace » potential impact on world food security, according to Denys Chmygal, while Ukraine is one of the world’s main suppliers of cereals.

• “150 tonnes of motor oil” spilled into the river

The destruction of the hydroelectric dam also led to the spillage of “one hundred and fifty tons of engine oil” in the Dnieper River. And the Ukrainian executive fears additional leaks: “There is also a risk of new oil leaks, which has a negative impact on the environment”warned on Telegram Daria Zarivna, press adviser to the head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, Andriï Iermak.

In a press release, the Ukrainian presidency had quantified earlier on Tuesday this “additional risk of leakage” To “more than 300 tons”.

• Threatened ecosystems

Waterspouts and motor oil are likely to have serious consequences on the fauna and flora of this southern part of Ukraine, while the Dnieper delta hosts a nature reserve with rich biodiversity. kyiv has already reported many “ dead fish ” in the zone.

“Entire ecosystems are facing long-term and irreversible damage from flooding”denounced the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kouleba, in a press release.

According to experts interviewed by “The Guardian”, the extent of damage to ecosystems will depend on the amount of water spilled and the extent of damage to the dam, variables still unknown.

Quoted by the British daily, a former Ukrainian Ecology Minister, Ostap Semerak, said that he believed other environmental risks could manifest themselves in the days and weeks to come, when waters flood cities, gas stations and farms, and will be contaminated with agrochemicals and petroleum products, before flowing into the Black Sea, which is home to a unique and protected nature reserve.

• Animals already affected

In addition, many animals perished. “The animals in the Nova Kakhovka zoo have already died following the rising waters”lamented the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, while videos showing the waters surging in the animal shelters were published on social networks. “We are witnessing an ecocide”.

Farm animals have also been taken by the waters and videos of people trying to save pets have also been flooding social media.

Beavers, whose habitat may have been destroyed, have also been spotted in the streets after leaving the bed of the Dnieper.

• Demining work made more complicated

Another cause for concern: mined areas have been flooded, and the mines could be moved by water and covered with silt. So many elements that will complicate the demining work, warned Olena Kravchenko, director of the NGO “Ukrainian Environment People Law”. The threat to ecosystems is therefore likely to persist over time, even if peace returns.