Water crisis in Ukraine: an unknown catastrophe that is already near

Not long ago, Ukraine was considered a country with sufficient fresh water reserves. But today we are at a point where water is becoming a strategic resource and, perhaps, one of the most scarce in the future. The water crisis is not a forecast, but a reality that affects the economy, health, the agricultural sector, and even the security of the state.

Main problems

1. Large-scale destruction of infrastructure
   • Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 744 water supply facilities have been damaged or destroyed — pumping stations, pipelines, hydraulic structures.
   • After the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP in June 2023, about 700 thousand people were left without drinking water supplies, losing more than 14 billion liters of water.
   • In April 2022, 1.4 million people in the east were left without centralized water supply, and another 4.6 million had only partial access.
2. Environmental pollution and chemical risks
   • As a result of attacks on sewage systems and destroyed industrial facilities, 20.7 billion m³ of untreated sewage entered the rivers, posing a significant health threat.
   • Explosions, soil erosion, and the destruction of chemical facilities increase the level of toxins in the water — heavy metals, nitrates, and munitions residue.
3. Water resource depletion and scarcity
   • Due to intense fighting, destroyed reservoirs and infrastructure, and overuse of resources, ecosystems are being destroyed and access to water for the population and agriculture is being reduced.
   • For example, in Mykolaiv, about 1,200 km of water supply networks were damaged due to salt water, and only 3 km of city pipes were restored.

2. Actions and programs to overcome the crisis

• Integrated State Program “Water Supply for War-Affected Territories”
  • The program covers 9 regions, including Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv, etc.
  • Provides for:
    • annual transfer of 800 million m³ of water,
    • accumulation of 1.6 billion m³,
    • construction of over 3 thousand km of pipes,
    • reconstruction of 250 pumping stations and 20 hydraulic structures,
    • drilling 460 alternative sources
    • providing 3.9 million people with water (after de-occupation — up to 9 million)
  • By the end of 2025, another 2 million Ukrainians will have access to water – in Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Kherson and Kharkiv regions
• Financing from the state budget
  • UAH 125.5 million allocated to provide Mykolaiv with drinking water through the reserve fund; the funds will cover supplies until the end of June, budget adjustments are planned in the future
  • UAH 186.9 million allocated to restore water and heat supply in Kherson
• International aid
  • The EU, in tandem with IOM, has launched a €30 million project in Kryvyi Rih: upgrading pumping stations, replacing pipes, upgrading treatment systems. The project will reach up to 700,000 residents and 80,000 displaced people
  • UNDP and the EU delivered 15 modern tanker trucks and 60 mobile water treatment plants to Kryvyi Rih to deliver clean water
  • UNICEF provided technical support, infrastructure restoration, and equipment to over 4.5 million people in 2023
  • Under the JICA program, the fourth phase of Emergency Recovery, which will include the restoration of water supply systems, has been approved. 8.8 billion yen (~$60 million) has been allocated for it
• Strategic planning and monitoring
  • National water safety strategy concluded: consultations with WHO and UNICEF in the context of implementing Water Safety Planning in accordance with the EU directive (2024–2025)
  • The Ministry of Ecology has launched a project to monitor water resources in Transcarpathia according to European standards with plans to scale it to the entire country.
• Financial support from the EIB
  • Ukraine received €200 million from the European Investment Bank for the “Ukraine Recovery Program III” and “Restoration of Water Supply and Sewerage” projects

Conclusion.

The water crisis in Ukraine is no longer a threat of the future, but a reality of the present. Southern regions are losing crops due to droughts, industrial regions are poisoning rivers, and cities are drowning in water loss due to old pipes.

But this crisis can become an opportunity. If we invest in new technologies, modernize infrastructure, and protect rivers in a timely manner, Ukraine can turn its weakness into an example of modern and sustainable resource management.