Ukraine has allocated $220 mln to restore water supply to southern regions

Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has allocated $220 million to solve the water supply problem for residents of the southern regions.

What is the problem?

On the night of June 6, Russian forces blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, the largest southern enterprise holding up water reserves.

The draining of the reservoir could exacerbate the aridization (desertification) trends in southern Ukraine, which will have an impact on the global food system.

The reservoir stored 94% of the water that fed 30 reclamation systems in Kherson, 74% in Zaporizhzhia, and 30% in Dnipro.

The residents also faced problems that they will have to cope with for years to come. One of them is water supply and water treatment. Due to the shallowing of the reservoir, part of the Dnipro region lost access to drinking water.

Since April 2022, Mykolaiv has been without centralized water supply, as Russian troops cut off the Dnipro-Mykolaiv water pipeline in the Kherson region.

What is the solution?

Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has allocated $220 million to solve the water supply issue for residents of the southern regions.

How does it work?

Ukrainian PM Denys Shmyhal says some settlements in southern Ukraine have faced water supply issues. Back in the summer, work began on laying water mains in the areas of Ingulets – Kriazheve (Kryvyi Rih), Pokrov – Nikopol – Marhanets and Zaporizhzhia – Tomakivka – Marhanets.

Officials also discussed a comprehensive solution to the water supply problem in Mykolaiv.

"We coordinated our work. I gave the ministries the necessary tasks to speed up the implementation of projects to provide water to people in these settlements," Shmyhal said.

The communities of Kryvyi Rih affected by the Kakhovka dam explosioncontinue to provide drinking water by installing 14 water treatment plants.