Unveiling the Ecological Consequences of War: Kherson Region and Dzharylhach Island
The ongoing war in Ukraine has a devastating effect on the country’s people and infrastructure. However, the fighting has also had a profound impact on the environment. A new report published by our partners Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) provides a comprehensive assessment of the environmental damage in the Kherson region and on Dzharylhach Island. The research our team conducted is of great significance as it helps to better understand the scale and nature of damages inflicted on ecosystems due to military actions.
Key Findings
The war has significantly damaged the environment in both areas: in Kherson, the fighting has led to widespread deforestation, water pollution, and soil contamination. On Dzharylhach Island, a fire caused by Russian shelling has destroyed large areas of vegetation.
During the research, we also found that the military actions have disrupted the natural ecosystems of both areas. This has harmed wildlife populations and increased the risk of natural disasters such as floods and wildfires.
All the work described in the report is an important contribution to our understanding of the environmental impact of the war in Ukraine as it provides valuable data for the restoration and preservation of Ukraine’s ecosystems.
Dzharylhach Island
Dzharylhach is the largest Ukrainian island in the Black Sea. The entire territory of the island and part of the waters have a special protected status and are a National Park. As a result of Russia’s war against Ukraine, large fire outbreaks on the temporarily occupied Dzharylhach were detected through NASA’s fire tracking system. The fire destroyed the reserve zone, where the central part of the island’s steppe ecosystems and populations of all rare animals are concentrated.
One of the calculations we conducted focuses on assessing the state of the island’s vegetation cover after a fire caused by Russian military activity. We used satellite imagery to assess the extent of the damage. As of August 12, more than 16 km2 of the island’s non-marshy territory had burned, where the central part of all valuable species, all parts of steppe ecosystems, and rare species listed in the “Green Book of Ukraine” are concentrated. Several species of birds and mammals have been displaced or killed. The fire has also destroyed important habitats for several endangered species.
Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant
The second study in the report analyzes the impact of the explosion of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant dam on the vegetation cover of the Berislav district. Here we also used satellite imagery to assess the extent of the damage and it was found that the explosion caused significant flooding and mudslides which destroyed large areas of vegetation. The study also found that the flooding has had a negative impact on the water quality in the Berislav district, it has made the water unsafe for drinking and irrigation.
The Use of NBR and NDVI Indexes
Our team used two important indexes to assess the damage to vegetation cover: the Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI).
The NBR shows the difference between the amount of near-infrared light and shortwave-infrared light reflected by vegetation. This index is used to assess the severity of burns.
The NDVI shows the amount of green vegetation in an area. This index is used to assess the overall health of vegetation.
The use of these indexes and the QGIS software (a geographic information system application for viewing, editing and analysis of geospatial data) allowed us to make a more accurate assessment of the damage to vegetation cover in both the Kherson region and on Dzharylhach Island.
The Importance of Documenting the Environmental Consequences of War
Studying and documenting the environmental consequences of war is extremely important for understanding the full extent of the damage. It is also crucial for planning future measures to restore and preserve critical ecosystems.
The report is a valuable resource for policymakers and organizations working to address the environmental impact of the war in Ukraine. It provides a comprehensive assessment of the damage that has been done. Restoring these territories after the war is a huge challenge but also provides an opportunity to implement new approaches to natural resource management and biodiversity conservation.