The Dnipro’s algal blooms, the shallowing of rivers, and water shortages are not temporary consequences of abnormal heat, but the result of long-standing environmental problems. Oleg Lystopad, an environmental expert with the ANTS National Interests Protection Network, spoke exclusively to UNN about what exactly has caused Ukrainian rivers to become shallower and how long this will continue.
The shallowing of the Dnipro, Danube, and other Ukrainian rivers cannot be explained solely by the heat or a low-water year. According to the environmentalist, the current situation is in fact the result of global processes that have continued for decades, as well as society’s and the authorities’ unwillingness to adapt to climate change. Instead, the problem is gradually worsening and has already extended far beyond individual bodies of water.
There are two causes. These are climate change and, as a consequence, people’s unwillingness to adapt to this climate change. Many perceive it only as an increase in temperature here and now and do not understand that the key factor is the average temperature across the planet. Even a half-degree increase sets off a whole series of processes: ocean currents change, precipitation is redistributed, and glaciers melt. Scientists have long proven that human activity over approximately the past 150 years has become the main cause of these changes
Oleg Lystopad emphasizes that climate change hits hardest not through temperature records, but through water shortages. The lack of water is becoming the main threat to rivers, agriculture, and cities. At the same time, some of the problems can already be addressed if the country begins implementing adaptation measures.
In order to overcome water availability problems, it is necessary, first, to stop climate change and, second, to adapt to its consequences. While the first requires coordinated efforts by all countries, the second can be done at the level of individual states and communities. This primarily concerns river floodplains, swamps, peatlands, and other natural ecosystems. They are what allow nature to accumulate water and gradually release it into rivers
The environmentalist pays particular attention to marshes and peatlands, which he calls natural water reservoirs, because they accumulate moisture after rains and snowmelt the most, maintaining water levels in rivers throughout the year. The problem is that these areas continue to be drained and developed for peat and amber extraction.
"Marshes and peatlands function like a huge sponge. One kilogram of peat can hold approximately ten times its own weight in water. Polissia is a vast natural moisture accumulator. When it is drained or peat is extracted, we are effectively depriving rivers of their source of nourishment ourselves," the expert emphasizes.
The expert names the improper development of Ukrainian cities as another factor worsening the situation. In his view, excessive paving with asphalt, the laying of tiles, and the reduction of green areas prevent water from remaining in the soil. As a result, it quickly enters storm drains and ultimately ends up in rivers without replenishing natural reserves.
"When rain falls in a city where everything is covered with asphalt and tiles, the water immediately enters the storm drains and then the Dnipro. Cities are becoming increasingly hotter, while water is becoming increasingly scarce. This is compounded by the constant mowing of grass and the felling or improper pruning of trees. All of this only intensifies the overheating of the urban environment," Oleg Lystopad emphasizes.
Oleg Lystopad explains that the Dnipro’s algal blooms also have specific causes that have long been confirmed by scientific research.
Research shows that the two main causes of algal blooms in the Dnipro are phosphates and the slowing of the current. Phosphates enter the water from detergents, as well as from agriculture, where fertilizers are widely used. When there is little water, it warms up more quickly, blue-green algae reproduce actively, and we see mass algal blooms
At the same time, the expert is convinced that many solutions already exist and have long been known to specialists. In particular, this concerns protecting peatlands, restoring the natural flow of rivers, reducing the number of artificial dams, changing the principles of urban improvement, and creating new protected areas. He emphasizes that the main obstacle is not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of political will.
"A great deal can be done. There are programs, there are methodologies, and there are successful examples of river restoration. But everything, as always, comes down to political will and an unwillingness to abandon decisions that benefit certain individuals. If this does not change, then, unfortunately, the situation with Ukrainian rivers will only worsen," Oleh Lystopad summarized.