In the immediate aftermath of the breaching of the Kakhovska Dam on 6 June, there was huge concern that a wall of water would descend downstream causing destruction in its wake. That didn’t happen, apart from very close to the dam, but within 24 hours waters were rising along the path of the Dnipro River for many kilometres.
In some areas they still have not peaked and many thousands of people have had to be evacuated along the river’s western bank, plus even more across the low-lying east-bank districts, which are controlled by Russia.
The destruction of buildings may be limited but the economic effects will be huge, if primarily concentrated in territory controlled by Russia. The immediate concerns will be with food, drinking water and medical support for those directly affected. One concern, easily forgotten, is that right across the area affected by the flood, May to June is the most important time of the growing season, especially for those who grow and store their own food. Commentators have pointed to the impact on farms, but smallholders and even amateur gardeners play a far more important role in food production than most urban dwellers realise.
