Vast environmental impact expected by the Nova Kakhovka breach in Ukraine

The Nova Kakhovka dam, the largest dam in Ukraine in terms of volume and one of the largest in the world, was breached in the early morning hours of June 6.

Its construction started in 1950 and lasted until 1956, while it consisted of an earth embankment dam and a hydroelectric power generation unit. The area of the breach was located at a 35-meter high and 85-meter-long area, consisting of concrete gravity dam.

The reasons behind the dam’s failure have not yet been clarified but two main theories exist so far. The first supports that the breach was caused by an explosion, as the area is heavily contested by the Russian and Ukrainian sides. Chris Binnnie, visiting professor at the University of Exeter and chair of Tidal Engineering and Environmental Services, explains that the most likely scenario in this case is an internal explosion, since shelling of the dam’s top part would not cause damage to that extent.

The second theory concerns structural damage leading to the dam’s failure. Furthermore, satellite imagery shows that between June 1 and 2 the road bridge on top of the dam was damaged, and the structure’s overall structural performance could have been compromised by the event.

An estimated of at least 40,000 people have been affected by the event so far, while it is expected to cause environmental damage to a great extent.

Tens of thousands of hectares of agricultural land are expected to flood, according to the Ukrainian Agricultural Ministry, affecting the environment, livestock, crops, and wildlife of the area. The destruction of the dam is also expected to greatly affect the irrigation capacity of the surrounding areas.

In addition to this, about 400 tons of turbine oil were present in the hydroelectric plant, with an estimated 150 having already been spilled into the environment. Fears have arisen that this oil, combined with extra hazardous materials transported from the flooded populated areas, could cause contamination of the surrounding environment.

Finally, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power station relies on the reservoir for cooling water. However, the International Atomic Energy agency said the war no immediate risk.