The water supply situation in Ukraine is just one of the many problems we faced during the all-out war. The lack of ammunition and means of survival make us vulnerable to Russian aggression. But we have been through difficult times and we will be able to go through them again.
Even before the breach of the dam at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station it was clear that the water problem for the eastern part of the country requires serious and responsible solutions.
Organized people prevented more casualties
The Ukrainian state is weak in the institutional plan. This is a historical problem, which led to many tragedies. But every disaster that comes to Ukraine is caused by the lack of spirit and unity of people. Volunteerism and assistance to neighbors, selflessness – this is the small detail, thanks to which Ukraine stood in February 2022 and thanks to which it stands today.
When the water flooded towns and villages, we united and very quickly managed to organize ourselves:
- Financial levies for equipment for rowing operations (boats, electric motors, lighters, vests).
- Food, water, first-aid supplies for the injured.
- A system of delivery of all the necessary items was organized, including points where drinking water could be obtained.
It was a very ironic picture – to be treated with water while suffering from its absence.
Without knowing how much resources will be needed, the Cabinet of Ministers has allocated 1.5 million hryvnias for the construction of a trunk water pipeline to provide drinking water to the residents of Kryvyi Rih, Nikopol and Margantsy.
Another 846 million hryvnias went to help Kherson, Mykolayiv, Zaporizka and Dnipropetrovsk regions to meet their drinking water needs.
In addition, the government allocated 120 million hryvnias to provide drinking water to Mykolayiv.
However, all the decisions that were taken urgently cannot fully cover the demand of people for drinking water. Delivery of bottled water from other regions is a difficult logistical task, especially considering the constant shelling.
Water purification stations can solve this problem. Thanks to them, it is possible to take virtually any water and make it suitable for consumption.
According to the report of the World Bank, the Government of Ukraine, the European Union, and the United Nations, dated July 2024.
“Damage to the irrigation and water sector in Ukraine increased dramatically, rising by 95%, mainly due to the destruction of the Kakhovka dam on June 6, 2023.
The WASH Cluster (a network of actors working in the Water Sanitation and Health (WASH) sector and led by UNICEF) estimated that there are 9.6 million people in need for essential water supply and sanitation services for 2024 alone. In particular, up to 1 million people have lost access to drinking water following the breach of the Kakhovka dam. The report estimates the damage to the water and sanitation sector at nearly $4 billion and the total reconstruction and recovery needs at $11.1 billion for 2024-2033.”
Der Bericht schätzt den Schaden im Wasser- und Abwassersektor auf fast 4 Milliarden Dollar und den Gesamtbedarf für Wiederaufbau und Wiederherstellung auf 11,1 Milliarden Dollar für den Zeitraum 2024-2033″.
You can read the full version here
The allocated billions of dollars have become a vest, but we are committed to a systemic solution of the problem.
Thus, we have already established a number of partnerships and launched a project together with the REUA Foundation. Read about how the Ukrainian Future team is fighting the problem in our article.
American support in this situation is also important. In addition to the already mentioned international organizations, the United States is providing financial and technical assistance in cooperation with the Ukrainian government and civil society organizations. This support includes the provision of funds for the renewal of water supply, supply of equipment and technical expertise for the renewal and support of water supply and purification systems.
