OSCE helps assess environmental impact of Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam breach

The breach of the dam at Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant on 6 June 2023, the resulting overflow of Kakhovka reservoir and the flooding of downstream territories have had a widespread and devastating impact, including potentially long-lasting environmental damage, according to research conducted by the Centre for Environmental Monitoring and supported by the OSCE Secretariat Extra-Budgetary Support Programme for Ukraine.

In response to a request from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine to quickly obtain information about its associated risks, the OSCE Secretariat Extra-Budgetary Support Programme for Ukraine funded the sampling and analysis of surface water and air in the affected areas of Kherson region. The municipal enterprise “Centre for Environmental Monitoring” conducted tests from 10 June to 14 July and prepared an analytical report that was presented to the Ministry.

The research confirms that, at the time of sample-taking, the quality of water in every site tested did not meet sanitary, microbiological and parasitological norms. The high-speed, high-volume flood washed away river banks and submerged areas with a heavy industrial presence, spreading various chemicals and biological pollutants, resulting in disruption to the environmental balance, with long-lasting consequences.

In the framework of the monitoring activities, the mobile laboratory of the Centre examined 39 samples from Dnipro, Inhulets, Koshova and Viriovchyna rivers; air sampling was also conducted in three locations in the Kherson region. Examination was conducted on the sampling sites using instrumental analysis methods specially designed for fieldwork. The study also engaged specialized laboratories in Kyiv and Kherson. Sampling encompassed more than 90 indicators pertinent to chemical, biological and radiological pollution on the Ukrainian government-controlled territory.  Experts had to take into account numerous security restrictions, meaning that sampling works could not be conducted on the left (southern) bank of the Dnipro River.

Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Olena Kramarenko noted: “We thank the OSCE for helping us monitor and analyse the impact of this terrible environmental crime.  It is important to continue monitoring activities and mobilize all available resources for the ecosystem rehabilitation in the region”.

The sampling materials will inform decision-makers on the environmental rehabilitation of the affected territories; as well as providing data for local and international organizations that are assessing the environmental aspects of the war. The report recommends – among other things – to continue regular and extended environmental monitoring. The OSCE Secretariat Extra-Budgetary Support Programme for Ukraine will continue to co-operate closely with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine and the international community for the comprehensive assessment of the consequences of this environmental catastrophe and the impact of the war on the environment.

These efforts are an integral part of the project implemented through the financial support of  a number of OSCE participating States and partners. The full list of donors can be found here.