Photo: Getty In Ukraine because of the shortage of water problems with the harvest

Ukraine needs a national strategy for the conservation of biodiversity and habitat, environmentalists say.

In Ukraine due to the abnormally warm winter and dry spring river and reservoir not filled with water. The result of this have become unusual for the Ukrainians dust storms, and forest fires and crop failures.

Experts say that these spring events may become customary for Ukraine. Other European countries also suffer from water shortage due to global climate change. Корреспондент.net tells details.

Thousands of rivers have disappeared, the water can give hourly

On the one hand, global warming affects the whole world. The impact of the increase in average monthly temperatures this year is also noticeable in Australia, which is first burned and then buried, and in Ukraine, where for the first time during the observation period was not meteorological winter.

On the other hand, Ukraine also has its own local specificity, which only brings ecological disaster. People sight dry grass, cut down the forest and set illegal dams on the rivers.

On may 13, the state Agency of water resources at a meeting of the Council of national security and defense, announced that the expected deficit of water in some rivers of Ukraine, particularly in those who have a significant anthropogenic load.

Cause at a meeting called oligohydramnios in Ukraine in the last five years. To solve the problems were adopted recommendations to government on water security in the year 2020 and decided to develop a new water strategy.

The government also plans to make an inventory of the Ukrainian underground sources water of drinking quality and artesian wells, to see which of them can attract to connect to the water supply systems.

In early March the state Agency of water resources reported that in Ukraine for the first time in history can limit can limit the rights of water users. The flow of water in the first place promise to provide for drinking and domestic needs of the Ukrainians.

Ukraine is considered a dry country, despite 63 thousand rivers, 400 thousand ponds, 1.1 thousand reservoirs, 1.3 million hectares of fresh water. The low water level caused the disappearance of tens of thousands of rivers during the years of independence.

In addition, some water sources are very contaminated. Over the past year in Ukrainian reservoirs were dropped more than two billion cubic meters of various waste, a third of which was untreated, according to environmentalists.

In late April, scientists said that the only rivers that spring has arrived, the water flow in the Carpathians. The plains of the river not filled with water, and because of the warm winter does not freeze and is not cleared. It may lead to a deterioration of the ecological situation and water quality.

The daily inflow of water in the Kiev reservoir of the Dnieper in late March proved to be one of the lowest of the highs over the past 100 years. Less was the daily inflow to the reservoir is extremely shallow 1925.

The maximum level of Gum spring 74 centimeters below the lowest value over the whole observation period. As a result, the flow of water to the Kanev reservoir may be 15 percent of the runoff for April.

The situation is worse with small rivers, lakes and streams, many of which are shallow and can dry up. Because of this upset the balance of groundwater, which will lead to a significant decrease in water wells.

Farmers lose a crop

Now every year humanity consumes approximately 4.6 thousand cubic kilometers per year, but in 30 years this demand will grow by a quarter, according to the report, which was presented at the recent world water forum in Brazil.

Now most of the water wasting agriculture, mainly for irrigation is about 70 percent. Industrial production takes about 20 percent, for household needs – rest.

Agriculture is the locomotive of the Ukrainian economy, which in some years provides up to 40 percent of GDP. Last year Ukraine harvested a record grain harvest. But the warm winter has become a serious challenge, which has not yet happened in Ukraine.

“Agriculture of Ukraine may be limited amounts of water may be limits or restrictions on water supply. You have to understand that the trends which are now marked, are long-term,” – said in the Reuters SSES.

In early may it was reported that the drought in the southern regions, Ukraine has lost 234 thousand hectares or 2.6% of winter crops. The most serious deficiency is observed in Odessa region. Local farmers are predicting the loss of half of the crop.

Odessa region lost 15 percent of the total area of winter crops. Of them as a result of adverse weather conditions killed ten percent of the winter wheat, 62 per cent of canola and 21 per cent of barley, according to the Ministry of economic development.

11 may it became known that 66-year-old farmer from the Odessa region killed himself after the death of his entire crop due to drought. It is reported that he took out a loan to pay for the lease of land and crops, but did not wait for a response from the authorities to request assistance.

A few days later the government announced that it will provide to help Ukrainian farmers vehicle about five thousand hryvnia per hectare of affected crops. However, the method of implementing the payment has not yet been developed.

The environmentalists in this situation and blame the farmers themselves. This, in particular, said the head of the Water practice of the world wildlife Fund WWF-Ukraine Olga Denisik.

“Recent years have seen a paradox: on the one hand, more and more farmers encroaching on floodplains, for example, the Gums, and on the other hand, complain that there is not enough water in the rivers. These things are connected,” – said the expert.

For rivers which are dry or already “fit” to a larger river or the sea, no artificial objects (including reservoirs) should not be says Denisik. In order to regain the physical characteristics of rivers, it is necessary to restore their marshes, a floodplain adjacent swamp, where water may be delayed in the spring.

Economist Boris Kushnir also draws attention to the fact that due to low water level in rivers can rise electricity because hydroelectric power station will not be able to produce cheap electricity.

To cope with drought, the business will have to invest in irrigation systems to have a stable yield.

“We are now at the stage of civilization, when technology makes it possible to ensure stable production of agricultural products. Large players in the agricultural sector for a long time have seeds and fertilizers, and drip irrigation system, capable of ensuring stable crop growth in drought conditions” – soothes Kushnir.

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