FRIDAY THE 13 Posted December 3, 2023 Posted December 3, 2023 One of Europe's largest reservoirs is drying up after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in southern Ukraine. Satellite images, analysed by BBC Verify, show four canal networks have become disconnected from the reservoir. The UN says drinking water supplies could be affected for more than 700,000 people, mostly in Russian-occupied areas. Experts say the loss of water from the canals would be critical for food production in the region. ADVERTISEMENT The Kakhovka Dam was destroyed in the early hours of 6 June, causing widespread flooding which hit settlements and farmland across the region. Since the dam collapsed, satellite images show water levels in both the reservoir and the canals it feeds have continued to drop. As well as the canals being a source of drinking water to large parts of southern Ukraine, they also provided irrigation for vast areas of farmland. The dam acted as a flood defence to places downstream, mainly to the south and south-west. BBC Verify monitored the four canal entrances using satellite imagery, and by 15 June, all had become disconnected as the reservoir water level kept dropping. Further images reveal the reservoir, which previously held 18 cubic kilometres of water, had dried up significantly. Shallower parts of the reservoir were exposed first, revealing some of the original shape of the Dnipro River prior to the dam's construction in 1956. Images show the canals still contain water further away from the reservoir. It is unclear how long it will take for them to run dry. Before the war, about 5,840 sq km (584,000 hectares) of cropland on both sides of the Dnipro river could potentially be serviced by the canals, with more than half the area reliant on irrigation systems. link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65963403
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