The Blowing Up of the Kakhovka Dam and the Disappearance of the Kakhovka Reservoir: One of the Largest Acts of Ecocide in Modern History

The destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, which led to the disappearance of the Kakhovka Reservoir, is considered one of the largest acts of ecocide in modern history.  

Now, across the vast area of the former reservoir—comparable in size to some small European countries—a new local ecosystem is emerging. Re-flooding this ecosystem would cause significant environmental damage.  

Recent studies suggest that there is an opportunity not only to preserve the reservoir area but also to implement a mix of energy generation technologies. This approach would minimize land use while maximizing energy output.  

One crucial component of this strategy could be the use of specific clusters of degraded and contaminated lands within the former reservoir area for biomass production. Under this scenario, up to 86% of the reservoir’s area would remain dedicated to natural ecosystem restoration. Additionally, the same energy crops could be used to reclaim large areas of mined lands, quarries, and spoil heaps near the reservoir.  

Notably, the region has abundant agricultural biomass resources, a well-developed electricity transmission and natural gas transportation infrastructure, and industrial energy consumers from previously implemented renewable energy projects.  

This creates an opportunity to develop an energy cluster in the region that integrates various renewable energy products, such as thermal and electrical energy, renewable gases, organic fertilizers and renewable CO₂.  

This study was conducted as part of the Capacities for Climate Action project, implemented by GIZ Ukraine on behalf of the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz (BMWK) within the framework of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and co-financed by the European Union.