An elderly woman is evacuated from a flooded area after the destruction of the Kakhovskoy dam. Interview | Two years after the destruction of the Kakhovsky dam: Ukraine will have to overcome the consequences of the tragedy for decades World and safety 6 June are two years since the disaster at the Kakhovsky hydroelectric power station in Ukraine. The consequences of destruction of the dam go far beyond the initial flooding – & nbsp; we are talking about decades of restoration & nbsp; and potentially irreversible damage to ecosystems. The catastrophe on the Kakhovskaya dam has inflicted large -scale damage to nature, water supply and agriculture of Ukraine. & Amp; NBSP; Roman Shakhkatenko told Roman Shakhkatenko about the consequences of the tragedy and long -term risks, the head of projects in the energy and environment of the UN Development Program (UND country. UN news service: two years have passed since the destruction of the Kakhovsky dam. How would you evaluate the current situation and how people live in the affected regions ? 60 > Roman Shakhkatenko: this is a very important conversation, because we should not forget about the consequences of the disaster – & nbsp; disaster. Initially, everyone, of course, was bothered by large -scale floods. These floods caused tremendous damage – & NBSP; not only residential buildings and infrastructure, but also caused the loss of biodiversity, death of animals and impacts on entire ecosystems. This caused serious damage to the environment and the ecosystem created by the Kakhovka. Although the Kakhovsky reservoir is an artificial object, it has become a full -fledged ecosystem. It provided the habitat for many species, including for those listed in the Red Book on the verge of disappearance. ~ 60 > this fragile ecosystem was destroyed. And that was just the beginning. Next-the redistribution of water flows, which influenced the water supply to a significant part of the East and Southeast of Ukraine. This directly affected households and, of course, agriculture. Although nature is restored quite quickly, and we already see certain signs of recovery – despite the pollution & nbsp; and nanos – & nbsp; redistribution of water resources remains a serious threat to people in the region: in Krivoy Rog, Manganese, Nikopol and other settlements that previously received water from Kakhovka. 60 > even now, despite the emergency measures of government and international organizations, people & nbsp; still & nbsp; it is difficult to cope with the situation. The irrigation systems are largely damaged or destroyed. This threatens agricultural production, which means & nbsp; – & nbsp; and food security in the country. Many communities & nbsp; are still faced with a lack of fresh water. ~ 60 > UN news service: tell & nbsp; about the work of the UNDV. How did you support the local communities & nbsp; and restoration & nbsp; infrastructure ? 62 > 62 > 62 > 62 ~Roman Shaktatenko: When a disaster occurred on the Kakhovskaya dam, we immediately realized: the flood – & nbsp; this is only the beginning. Of course, we helped communities – we provided pump generators, equipment for clearing blockages and disposal of garbage. But it became clear that the problem of water supply, especially in the Dnipropetrovsk region, requires more stable decisions. ~ 60 > many communities & nbsp; in this region and before the destruction of the dam, they experienced difficulties with access to water, and now completely lost it. We understood that humanitarian aid would not be enough – & nbsp; we needed solutions at least for the medium term. Therefore, we started with the installation of water treatment stations. This equipment allowed people & nbsp; use contaminated water from accessible sources – for example, from the Ingolets and Saksagan rivers – and clean it. 62 ~~ 60 > 62 > 62 > 62 >But one could not do with filtration. Communities & nbsp; scattered at a great distance from each other. Therefore, we also provided tankers for water transportation. These stations and cars still work, providing people with water even after two years. 60 ~ p > In addition, we conducted an important study of soil pollution. Together with state environmental inspections, we sent a mission to the Kakhovskaya dam to the analysis of heavy metals and other pollutants. We took 40 samples and conducted an analysis of more than 300 indicators. It was a dangerous mission – & nbsp; the region is sheated, and the risk to the life of specialists was high. However, we collected primary, reliable data. At that moment, there were a lot of assessments in the public space, but very few of them were based on real samples. We believe that this was an important contribution to the general work of the state and the Ukrainian people to overcome the consequences of the disaster. In & nbsp; Nikopol, together with the local authorities, we installed a pump, which allowed to restore water supply. The city is being sheated daily, but thanks to this pump, most of the population again gained access to water. It was a truly heroic step & nbsp; local specialists. ~ 60 > of course, we also conducted destruction, analysis of the state of settlements, and the scale of damage to buildings. But, in my opinion, it is the mentioned & nbsp; measures gave the greatest effect. ~ 60 > UN news service: what are the long -term environmental consequences of this disaster, and how the UNDG plans to deal with them ?Roman Shaktatenko: We will see long -term consequences in the future while we will see in the future. Loss & nbsp; biodiversity, death of aquatic organisms and other species that cannot be restored – this is already recorded. At least six species of mammals were threatened by disappearance due to the war and the destruction of the dam. 60 > restoration of groundwater and microclimate will take at least three decades. This is a task for decades ahead, and Ukraine will have to deal with it for a long time after the end of the war. infrastructure consequences are also huge. Unemployed or destroyed irrigation systems affect both the environmental situation and agriculture. Therefore, I believe that Ukraine has encountered a unique challenge that will need to be prioritized in the post -war period. ~ 60 > UN news service: you can tell about what you saw in the affected areas ? ~ 60 > romance Shakhkatenko: recently we visited one of the communities, which was transferred to the water treatment. These stations are autonomous – & nbsp; they work from solar energy and provide clean water. There is also a water carrier in place. station was installed in a local school. Every day at a certain time, people come for water, and the water carrier goes around nearby villages. This has become an important part of the everyday life of the community. and this became possible thanks to the support of the European Union. People living in extremely difficult conditions gained access to basic benefits. This, in my opinion, is an important example of how international partnerships really help on the ground.