As sources of water, habitats for unique flora and fauna, and transport routes, rivers are of inestimable importance to the planet and to humanity. However, over the years their condition has been deteriorating, which is having an impact on the economy, the environment and people’s health. Therefore, every year on the fourth Sunday in September, World Rivers Day is observed to draw attention to the problems facing these water bodies and the need to conserve them.
EcoPolitic discusses this date and the crisis facing Ukraine’s rivers.
The history of the date
The UN sought to raise public awareness of how and why we need to look after our water resources. Consequently, in 2005, the organisation proclaimed the ‘Water for Life’ Decade.
Following this, the renowned Canadian environmentalist Mark Angela proposed establishing an annual date that would serve as an opportunity for educational activities.
Threats to rivers
Rivers all over the world face similar problems, and Ukraine is no exception.
- Pollution. It is constantly causing mass fish deaths. Yet it is also harmful to humans.
- Excessive agricultural use. This leads to a fall in the water level and, as a result, to the drying out of the soil and a loss of fertility in the surrounding land.
- Regulation of the natural river channel. Dams, weirs, bridges and other structures cause the river’s natural flow to lose its strength. The water becomes stagnant, the hydromorphological characteristics deteriorate, and fish either die or are unable to reproduce due to the blockage of their migration routes.
- Loss of water volume. This is caused by a combination of several factors – excessive water abstraction for domestic and agricultural needs, as well as global warming. Due to climate change, higher temperatures are leading to faster evaporation of water, whilst a lack of rainfall is preventing water bodies from replenishing their losses.
Due to record-breaking low water levels in Ukraine, a critical danger level has already been declared for the western part of the country. Overall, the authorities have been forced to restrict water abstraction for 300 businesses, including even municipal water supply companies. Scientists are already advising Ukrainians to get used to saving water. Find out how to do this at home in this article.
Overall, over the past 30 years, 30 per cent of rivers in Ukraine have disappeared or become fragmented.
EcoPolitic recently reported on how volunteers are cleaning up small rivers in the Kharkiv region, whilst in Zakarpattia the Verke River has been cleared of silt and weirs.
