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ukraine dam
'Environmental Destruction Is a Form of Warfare': Thunberg Joins Ecocide Investigation in Ukraine
Thunberg said Russian forces "are deliberately targeting the environment and people's livelihoods and homes."
Jun 30, 2023
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg condemned the "ecocide" wrought by Russia's invasion of Ukraine as she visited Kyiv Thursday.
Thunberg was there to meet with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of a newly formed working group with other European leaders to assess and remedy the ecological destruction caused by the war.
"Ecocide and environmental destruction is a form of warfare… as Ukrainians by this point know all too well—and so does Russia," Thunberg said at a press conference reported by The Journal.
"I do not think that the world reaction to this ecocide was enough."
Thunberg added that Russian forces "are deliberately targeting the environment and people's livelihoods and homes. And therefore also destroying lives. Because this is after all a matter of people," according to The Associated Press.
The goal of the working group is to investigate the extent of ecological damage in Ukraine, determine ways of holding Russia to account, and start to repair the damage. In addition to Thunberg, members include former Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Margot Wallström, European Parliament Vice President Heidi Hautala, and former Irish President Mary Robinson.
"The environment should no longer be the silent victim of war," Ukraine's prosecutor general Andriy Kostin tweeted Thursday on the occasion of the meeting.
Kostin said that the war had seeded around 30% of Ukraine's land area with explosives and damaged more than 2.4 million hectares of forest.
"The blowing up of the Kakhovka Dam caused the most significant environmental disaster in Ukraine since Chernobyl," he added.
The June 6 dam collapse flooded large swaths of territory in southern Ukraine and the Russian-occupied region of Kherson, Reuters reported. The collapse killed dozens, forced around 2,200 people from their homes in Ukrainian-controlled territory, spilled hundreds of tons of engine oil into the Dnipro River, and threatened drinking water supplies, according to The Journal and Doctors of the World. The incident initially severely affected around 17,000 people and could impact more than 42,000. Both Russia and Ukraine have blamed the other for the collapse, Reuters reported.
Thunberg also criticized the international community for their response.
"I do not think that the world reaction to this ecocide was enough," she said. "We have to talk louder about it, we have to raise awareness about what is going on."
Kostin said that Ukraine was the first country to prosecute environmental war crimes and ecocide "on a massive scale."
Ukraine is investigating more than 200 war crimes against the environment and 15 incidents of ecocide, he said.
"We call for strengthening international efforts to investigate and prosecute Russia's war crimes against the environment and to ensure that the aggressor pays for the enormous damage caused by these crimes," he tweeted.
Zelensky said the working group was "a very important signal of supporting Ukraine," The Journal reported. "It's really important, we need your professional help."
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'An Act of Ecocide': Civil Society Groups Condemn Weaponization of Ukraine Dam
"The destruction of the dam represents the most serious single blow to the environment during the war," said one advocate.
Jun 20, 2023
"Dams must not be used as a weapon of war."
That's one of the key messages shared Tuesday in an open letter condemning "the weaponization of the Kakhovka hydropower dam, whose destruction has precipitated the manmade disaster unfolding in Ukraine, the impacts of which will be experienced by the environment and people for generations to come."
Signed by two dozen advocacy organizations from around the world, the letter recounts how "the destruction of the Kakhovka dam has severely affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of people upstream and downstream, impacted over 40 protected natural areas with dozens of endemic species, exposed or carried to the sea the toxic sediments accumulated in the reservoir over the dam's 70-year history, inundated at least 50 settlements on both banks causing mass displacement, and cut off water up to 500,000 hectares of irrigated fields, among other impacts."
According to the signatories, "Restoring a new liveable environment will take many years if not many decades."
"Restoring a new liveable environment will take many years if not many decades."
Kyiv and Moscow have blamed each other for destroying the dam, which was under Russian control when it collapsed on June 6. Some, including the new letter's signatories, have made the case for attributing the dam's failure to cumulative damage generated since Russia invaded Ukraine last year.
"The bursting of the Kakhovka dam caused by the brutal Russian military invasion in Ukraine has reminded humankind that large dams can often be a weapon of mass destruction," says the letter. "Building dams upstream of populated areas can threaten the lives of thousands—in the case of Kakhovka, 40,000 people live in harm's way, at least 50 of whom have been already confirmed dead and up to a thousand are still missing. The deluge has also taken a heavy toll on natural ecosystems and biodiversity of the unique wetlands and valleys of the Lower Dnieper—one of Europe's largest rivers."
The United Nations on Sunday accused Russia of denying aid workers access to Moscow-controlled areas of southern Ukraine that are home to people suffering the most direct consequences of the dam collapse.
Oleksii Vasyliuk, chair of the Ukraine Nature Conservation Group, which co-organized Tuesday's letter with International Rivers, said in a statement that "this ecological catastrophe and large-scale destruction of nature provoked by the Russian invasion are undermining the future well-being of all of Europe," though its deadly effects could extend beyond the continent's borders.
The dam's disintegration has intensified concerns about the structural integrity of the besieged Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine and sparked multiple warnings, including those detailed in the new letter, about long-term harm to the area's drinking water supplies, wastewater infrastructure, and agricultural land. Given the region's role as one of the world's major "breadbaskets," fears are mounting that the global hunger crisis could grow worse as a result.
"The destruction of the dam represents the most serious single blow to the environment during the war," said Vasyliuk. "This is an act of ecocide against the environment and is a crime against humanity."
"Unsafe in times of peace, dams constitute a mortal danger in cases of war, violent conflicts, and terrorist insurgence," said International Rivers co-director Josh Klemm. "The weaponization of dams during wartime represents a real and growing threat."
In 2017, for instance, the U.S. bombed Syria's largest dam during its war against the Islamic State, endangering tens of thousands of civilians in the process.
"The weaponization of dams during wartime represents a real and growing threat."
The letter describes the destruction of the Kakhovka dam as a war crime and calls on the International Criminal Court to investigate it as such.
Even in the absence of war or sabotage, "dams are increasingly at risk of failure as decades-old dams reach the end of their lifespans, and climate change-induced floods threaten dams and communities located downstream," says the letter. "By 2050, most people will live downstream of a large, aging dam."
Pointing to the Ukraine Recovery Conference scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in London, the signatories implored participating officials "to urgently rebuild more sustainably and avoid the inherent dangers and problems of rebuilding the 70-year-old dam and rehabilitating the obsolete plant."
"More than ever Ukraine needs support for its speedy and sustainable recovery," states the letter. "However, the destruction of obsolete Soviet infrastructure also brings an opportunity for economic, social, and environmental improvements by using new efficient and nature-friendly approaches and technologies while avoiding mistakes of the past."
According to the letter:
The restoration of the 350 MW Kakhovka hydropower plant has been estimated to cost over €1 billion, though the full cost is likely to be much greater when factoring in the restoration of the vast reservoir. It would also take years to complete, and restoring water supply from the reservoir to Crimea may take over a decade. Rebuilding the dam and its 2000 km2 reservoir would not represent the best path forward given its extraordinary expense, high environmental impacts, climate vulnerability, remaining threat of destruction, and availability of more sustainable solutions.
A comparable solar power plant, for example, would occupy less than 1% of the former reservoir area, cost a fraction of restoring the hydropower facility, and could be completed in less than two years.
Dedicated water supply systems and more water-efficient irrigation schemes that do not require restoring the dam can and must be undertaken immediately, rather than choosing an option that would take many years to complete. These efforts are already underway.
Developing solar energy in the former reservoir could serve to power pumps for new water systems while protecting native vegetation from drought. This could be complemented by wind farms to harness naturally strong winds in the valley. The emergence of over 1000 km2 of vacant land is a real opportunity to develop renewable energy and other nature-friendly economic activities.
"We are confident that under conditions of climate change, it will be optimal to restore natural ecosystems on the site of the already emptied water reservoir, which in the past has submerged the largest natural forest in the steppe zone of Ukraine," said Vasyliuk. "Restoration of the river flow will not only bring back the stability of natural ecosystems and restore biodiversity lost in the past, but also increase the quality of water used by people, thereby improving the quality of life."
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UN Accuses Russia of Blocking Aid to Dam Collapse Victims
"Aid cannot be denied to people who need it," said the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine.
Jun 19, 2023
The United Nations on Sunday accused the Russian government of denying aid workers access to Moscow-controlled areas of southern Ukraine that were impacted by the devastating collapse of the Kakhovka dam earlier this month.
Denise Brown, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, said in a statement that Russia has "so far declined our request to access the areas under its temporary military control" and implored Moscow officials to "act in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law."
"Aid cannot be denied to people who need it," said Brown. "The U.N. will continue to do all it can to reach all people—including those suffering as a result of the recent dam destruction—who urgently need life-saving assistance, no matter where they are."
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, said it would be unsafe to allow aid workers to access the area due to ongoing fighting.
"There has been constant shelling, constant provocations, civilian facilities, and the civilian population have come under fire, people have died, so it’s really difficult to ensure their security," Peskov told reporters Monday.
The dam's collapse sparked a humanitarian and ecological disaster, forcing thousands to flee their homes, intensifying concerns about the structural integrity of a major nuclear plant, and potentially causing long-term damage to the area's drinking water and agriculture—a crisis with global implications.
More than 50 people have been confirmed dead as a result of the dam's collapse.
Ukraine and Russia have blamed each other for the disaster, while some have suggested the fall of the dam—which was under Russian control at the time of the collapse—was a result of damage accumulated from months of war.
Citing two U.S. engineers, an explosives expert, and a Ukrainian engineer with "extensive experience with the dam's operations," The New York Times reported Friday that "given the satellite and seismic detections of explosions in the area, by far the most likely cause of the collapse was an explosive charge placed in the maintenance passageway, or gallery, that runs through the concrete heart of the structure."
The Associated Press separately reported Sunday that "images taken from above the Kakhovka dam... appear to show an explosive-laden car atop the structure, and two officials said Russian troops were stationed in a crucial area inside the dam where the Ukrainians say the explosion that destroyed it was centered."
Moscow says Ukraine sabotaged the dam with "mass artillery attacks" or missile strikes.
Whatever the cause, the consequences have been profound and will likely be long-lasting.
"I worry a lot about the effect on global food prices and, as much as anything, on global food availability," Martin Griffiths, the U.N.'s under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, told PBS late last week.
"We will see the extent of that damage as the waters recede," Griffiths added. "It is a catastrophe for the world."
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Fresh Nuclear Safety Concerns After Dam Disaster Downriver From Zaporizhzhia Plant
While the IAEA said it doesn't see an "immediate risk" to the nuclear plant's safety, the agency warned that a lack of cooling water "would cause fuel melt and inoperability of the emergency diesel generators."
Jun 06, 2023
Already heightened concerns about the operational safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine intensified further on Tuesday after a major downriver dam was destroyed, forcing thousands to evacuate as water surged through the breached structure.
The wrecked barrier held back a body of water equal in size to Utah's Great Salt Lake, and the reservoir supplies water for the cooling of the Zaporizhzhia facility, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. The reservoir also serves as a key source of drinking water.
Ukraine and Russia blamed each other for the dam's destruction, which would constitute a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. Reuters noted that "neither side offered immediate public evidence" to substantiate their accusations.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has been monitoring the Zaporizhzhia plant for months and vocally warning about ongoing threats to its integrity, said Tuesday it was closely examining the fallout from the dam breach but there was "no immediate risk to the safety of the plant."
But Rafael Mariano Grossi, the IAEA's director-general, stressed Tuesday that an "absence of cooling water in the essential cooling water systems for an extended period of time would cause fuel melt and inoperability of the emergency diesel generators" at Zaporizhzhia, which is currently controlled by Russian forces.
The plant is roughly 90 miles upriver from the breached dam.
"The main line of cooling water is fed from the reservoir and pumped up through channels near the thermal power plant to the site," said Grossi. "It is estimated that the water through this route should last for a few days. Water in the reservoir was at around 16.4 meters at 8:00 am. If it drops below 12.7 meters, then it can no longer be pumped."
Grossi noted that "there are a number of alternative sources of water," including a "large cooling pond next to the site that by design is kept above the height of the reservoir."
"It is therefore vital that this cooling pond remains intact. Nothing must be done to potentially undermine its integrity," he added. "I call on all sides to ensure nothing is done to undermine that. My trip to ZNPP next week was planned and now it is essential. I will go."
The Associated Press reported Tuesday that "the potentially far-reaching environmental and social consequences of the disaster quickly became clear as homes, streets, and businesses flooded downstream and emergency crews began evacuations."
James Elder, a UNICEF spokesperson, said in a statement that the impacts of the dam's destruction will be acutely felt by children, many of whom will be left homeless and without reliable access to clean drinking water.
"This is yet another merciless attack on infrastructure that is vital to the well-being of everyday Ukrainians," said Elder.
Outside experts and critics of nuclear power have been warning for more than a year that the longer the war drags on, the greater the threat of a catastrophe at Zaporizhzhia, which has already been significantly damaged by shelling.
In a March 2022 report, Greenpeace wrote that "in the event of a loss of cooling and resultant fire in any of the spent fuel pools at Zaporizhzhia, the potential for a very large release of radioactivity would have a devastating effect not only on Ukraine but also its neighboring countries, including Russia, and potentially, depending on the weather conditions and wind directions, on a large part of Europe."
Ukrainian and Russian officials traded blame for the disastrous dam breach.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted Tuesday that Russia "blew it up," an alleged attack that he called a "bomb of mass environmental destruction."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, for his part, said during a news briefing that "we can state unequivocally that we are talking about deliberate sabotage by the Ukrainian side."
Meanwhile, according to Reuters, "some Russian-installed officials said the dam had burst on its own."
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