Following the collapse of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station dam and the disappearance of the reservoir, the Velykyi Lug has begun to reform on land that was flooded some 70 years ago. A number of Ukrainian environmental organisations and experts are calling for the preservation of this unique landscape and have therefore appealed to the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine and the Ukrainian National Commission for UNESCO. The aim is to include the Velykyi Luh on the Tentative List of World Heritage Sites.
This was reported by the Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group (UNCG).
In total, nearly 100 civil society and environmental organisations have already joined the joint appeal, and around 100 scientists, experts and activists have added their individual signatures.
Restoring what has been lost
For centuries, Velykyi Lug has been the cradle of the Ukrainian Cossacks. However, in addition to its historical value, this area is of inestimable importance for nature conservation.
“Floodplain forests are rapidly forming in the area of the former reservoir, biodiversity is increasing, rare species are returning, and scientists now have the opportunity to observe one of the world’s most large-scale processes of natural restoration of a major river floodplain,” the organization noted.
The formation of new wetlands and their corresponding ecosystem is not the only development to have taken place here. Once the water receded, access was finally gained to the historic and archaeological spaces that have lain at the bottom of the reservoir since the 1950s.
Importance for History, Culture, and Nature
Experts have already prepared a proposal for including the Great Meadow on the UNESCO list, outlining key arguments. Among these are international recognition of the Ukrainian Cossacks’ role, decolonization of historical heritage, and the impetus to preserve the natural dynamics of the Lower Dnipro.
“The Great Meadow has the potential to be recognized as a site of global importance, not only for Ukraine but for all humanity. It is now crucial not only to study this area but also to work toward its international recognition and long-term conservation,” emphasized UNCG.
EcoPolitic previously analyzed the positions of all sides both “for” and “against” the restoration of the Kakhovka Reservoir. In contrast to the view of environmentalists, who wish to allow the new forests to recover undisturbed, economists stress the importance of restoring water supply to the already arid southern regions.
