Examples of environmental harm in Ukraine | return to map

Name: Karlivka Reservoir dam
Location: Karlivka, Donetsk Oblast

CEOBS database ID: 11000

Context

The Karlivka Reservoir was built in 1933 on the River Vovcha and holds an average volume of 10 million m³. The reservoir supplies drinking and irrigation water to several communities in the Donetsk region, including Kurakhove, Selydove, Novohrodivka, Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad and Dobropillia. Historically, most of the region’s water supply was provided through the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas channel, while five local reservoirs including Karlivka served as a back-up source.

Timeline of key incidents 

The reservoir was viewed as strategically important prior to February 2022. On the 7th June 2014, pro-Russian forces gained control of the site and temporarily opened sluice gates to cause flooding and disrupt the logistics of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. 

On the 19th February 2022, shelling damaged the power supply to a pumping station on the Southern Donbas Pipeline, which supplied water to Karlivka filtration station. Without the pipeline, the reservoir became a back-up water source and was almost depleted within a few months, forcing local authorities to implement a water rationing regime. 

25th May 2023

Local authorities reported that the dam was struck by a missile leading to a large discharge of water along the River Vovcha towards the village of Galitsynovka. A further five settlements and 1,000 citizens were under immediate threat of flooding – although there was no flooding of critical infrastructure. Water levels were receding by the following day and five days later the flooding had mostly subsided, with reports suggesting that a total of 7.5 million m³ of water had been discharged, around 75% of the reservoir’s volume.

By October 2023 and after repair work, water from the Karlivka Reservoir remained unsuitable for drinking and was being used only for other household needs; strict rationing remained in place. 

Damage assessment  

The assessment shows the change in water levels from the 20th May to the 2nd June 2023, with the latter showing the extent to which water levels within the reservoir dropped one week after the incident took place. Eight households were flooded as a result of the incident, however no critical infrastructure was damaged.

Environmental harm assessment

The high energy torrent released from the reservoir is likely to have impacted numerous habitats along the downstream stretch of the River Vovcha and led to increased levels of bank erosion. Increases of suspended sediments can lead to turbidity and block light from the water column, as well as lowering dissolved oxygen, impacting aquatic life. The drainage of the reservoir itself will have reduced habitat space. Pollutants may have been mobilised from flooded settlements and agricultural areas.

Longer-term implications

The reservoir lies within the Donbas region, well-known for its coal mining and heavy industry. This has had a profound impact on surface and groundwater quality across the region, with historical pollution influenced by the armed conflict since 2014.¹ Sampling at the Karlivka Reservoir in 2016 found that levels of sulphates, calcium and magnesium were more than twice Ukrainian national standards. Longer term, the reduction in supply from the reservoir may increase reliance on local boreholes in the areas that it served, leading to aquifer depletion.

Dis/mis-information watch

A pro-Russian blogger posted speculative material on the potential extent of any flooding – it proved less extensive than suggested. Prior to the attacks Ukrainian authorities had notified media outlets that it was a potential target. 

External resources

Rivers and Water Systems as Weapons and Casualties of the Russia-Ukraine War | Gleick et al.

 

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