EU launches €30 million project to recover Ukrainian water system – two years after Kakhovka dam destruction
On 6 June, the European Union allocated €30 million to support the reconstruction of the water supply system in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine. The project, to be implemented by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), was symbolically announced on the second anniversary of the Kakhovka dam destruction.
The Kakhovka Dam, captured by Russia at the start of the invasion, was breached on 6 June 2023, causing dozens of deaths andmassive damage. The 2023 Post-Disaster Needs Assessment estimated the loss and damage caused by the destruction of the dam at $14 billion. Additionally, with the water supply from the Kakhovka Reservoir no longer viable, Kryvyi Rih has been dependent on degraded and insufficient alternative sources.
The new EU-funded IOM project will rehabilitate pumping stations, replace pipelines, and improve the efficiency of the city’s water treatment plant. As a result, water quality will improve, and both energy consumption and water losses will be reduced. Over the next two years, the project will benefit up to 700,000 residents of Kryvyi Rih, including around 80,000 internally displaced people.
“With this project, the EU is helping restore vital services and reduce the vulnerability of communities like Kryvyi Rih,” said Jocelin Cornet, Head of Section for reconstruction, energy, infrastructure and environment for the EU Delegation to Ukraine.
The European Union and IOM were among the first responders to the dam disaster, and IOM has since assisted more than 50,000 people impacted by the flooding and infrastructural collapse it caused. This was achieved through the distribution of necessary items, installing heating systems, and bolstering public infrastructure which ensured the continuity of essential services in some of the hardest-hit areas.
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