Study shows environmental devastation in the Black Sea after destruction of Ukraine dam

The devastating environmental shock to the Black Sea following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine has been revealed for the first time by University of Stirling scientists.

An investigation carried out using Earth Observation (EO) satellites and water sampling found a sharp increase in pollutants and decline in water quality in the north-western Black Sea, downstream of the dam breach.

Explosions obliterated the dam and the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant in Russian-occupied Ukraine on June 6 2023, flooding low-lying areas either side of the Dnipro River with 14.4 billion cubic metres of water.

At least 58 people were killed, more than 30,000 homes were damaged and up to 700,000 were left without access to clean water. 
The impact of flooding is well documented, but University of Stirling scientists have now revealed the impact on the aquatic environment.

Dr Dalin Jiang, a researcher in Stirling’s Faculty of Natural Sciences, said: “Our investigation shows, for the first time, the consequences of weaponising the Kakhovka Dam for the aquatic environment. Our study revealed how much and where water in the Black Sea has been impacted instantaneously by the dam breach.

“These findings provide powerful evidence of the impact from such warfare-driven environmental shocks, and how they shift the ecological status of marine ecosystems.”

Drastic changes

Satellite images taken shortly after the dam was breached show significant sediment plumes and severe algal blooms in the Black Sea, which can alter the oxygen level in the water. Sediments may also have brought pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, as well as animal carcasses, threatening the health of aquatic species.

Algal blooms in the Black Sea, taken by Sentinel-3 satellite

Dr Jiang said: “Drastic changes to the quality of the water environment may have impacted various species, with consequences for ecosystem functions. It may be anticipated that aquatic organisms might migrate to other areas of the Black Sea.

“These events may have contributed to the death or even extinction for not only aquatic organisms but also other animals such as minks and birds that depend on the Black Sea coastal environment.”

Stirling researchers are world-leaders in water research and pioneered the use of EO technology, utilising satellites and in-situ sensors to provide comprehensive water quality and quantity data in real time.

Professor Andrew Tyler of the University of Stirling’s Faculty of Natural Sciences, a co-author of the research, said: “It was not possible to carry out intensive field surveys in the study area because of the ongoing conflict, so numeric modelling and Earth Observation provide the only way to explore impacts on the water environment.

“We also compiled some data from the Odesa coastal waters, to validate and confirm our results observed from modelling and satellite images.”

Stirling researchers collaborated with academics at the Odesa I.I. Mechnikov National University in Ukraine, with visiting researcher Professor Valeriy Khokhlov playing a key role in the compilation of data from coastal waters.

The team also worked with the National Institute of Marine Geology and Geo-ecology (GeoEcoMar) in Romania and the Institute of Oceanology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IO-BAS) in Bulgaria.

The research was founded jointly by Universities UK International's UK-Ukraine R&I twinning grants scheme and the Horizon 2020 Developing Optimal and Open Research Support for the Black Sea (DOORS) project.

The biogeochemical response of the north-western Black Sea to the Kakhovka Dam breach was published in the journal Communications Earth and Environment.