The drying area of ​​reservoirs in occupied Crimea is now 45% - experts

Глянько Катерина
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14:45, 20 November
The drying area of ​​reservoirs in occupied Crimea is now 45% - experts
Image source: Суспільне Крим

In occupied Crimea, the drying area of ​​reservoirs is now 45%, and the area of ​​natural lakes has decreased a little less - by a quarter. Experts call the causes of dehydration not only the climatic factor - militarization, resettlement of Russians on the peninsula, and irrational use of water have negatively affected the water resources of occupied Crimea.

This is evidenced by the monitoring of water resources of the peninsula according to satellite imagery, which was published by the Institute of Agroecology and Nature Management of Ukraine. The relevant problem was discussed by experts from the Crimean Tatar Resource Center.

According to the chairman of the board of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center Eskender Bariev, one of the reasons for the drying up of reservoirs is the resettlement of at least 700,000 Russians to Crimea, who of course also use water.

According to him, Russia has put into operation new infrastructure facilities, thermal power plants, and new production facilities for its citizens, who have been relocated to Crimea, which also need to be supplied with water.

"For its settlers, Russia in Crimea has built a large multi-storey housing stock, launched new production facilities, including two thermal power plants, infrastructure, roads, which required additional resources, including water supply", - stressed the head of the centre.

He added that today the loss of water through pipelines reaches 50-60% in occupied Crimea.

Professor of the Department of Ecology of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Academician of the Academy of Economic Sciences of Ukraine Yevhen Khlobystov indicated the main dangers associated with the water policy of Crimea.

"The first is the use of artesian water for communal purposes, which is simply a negative consequence of the occupying power. On the other hand, we actually stopped agriculture, which relied on irrigation, because there is nothing, we see a classic arid climate (when it turns into a semi-desert) And the second global problem is the unknown actual number of water consumers", - he concluded.

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