Armed conflict as an environmental risk factor at water supply facilities in еastern Ukraine (case study of “Voda Donbassa” utility company’s Siverskyi Donets – Donbas canal)

Authors

  • Olexandra V. Buglak State Ecology Academy of postgraduate education and management, Kyiv, Ukraine
  • Katerina Y. Boiko State Ecology Academy of postgraduate education and management, Kyiv, Ukraine
  • Oksana V. Lunova State Ecology Academy of postgraduate education and management, Kyiv, Ukraine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32347/2411-4049.2019.3.23-32

Keywords:

canal, critical infrastructure, environmental risks, degree of danger, line of armed conflict, secure zone

Abstract

The “Voda Donbassa” utility company’s Siverskyi Donets – Donbas Canal is considered critical infrastructure and at increased risk, as existing environmental threats have been identified (significant technical malfunctions in connection with military operations – breach of the waterproof canal-bed; damage to the pipeline’s water-tightness; flooding along the path due to significant water loss and, as a consequence, development of dangerous geological processes – swamps, landslides, surface subsidence, rising groundwater levels; a possible complication of the humanitarian and sanitary-epidemiological condition in the region is the presence of the prerequisites for man-made accidents to occur at environmentally-hazardous chemical, metallurgical, and energy enterprises that use large volumes of water in their technological process) and recommendations given for minimizing the risks of the beginnings of man-made environmental disasters (development of plans for the localization and elimination of the consequences of accidents, where they are lacking; measures to prevent breaching the integrity and waterproofing of the Siverskyi Donets – Donbas Canal – technical inspection, planned and preventative maintenance work, repair work; monitoring the canal’s hydrological and hydrogeological systems, hydraulic structure technical condition, ensuring systematic monitoring and renovation of the water supply system; implementation of measures for drainage of land in areas of flooding in order to reduce the negative impact).
In connection with the passage of the Siverskyi Donets – Donbas Canal route through the line of armed conflict, it is necessary to create “secure zones” with a radius of 5 km where the canal intersects the contact line in order to prevent their destruction due to possible shelling.

Author Biographies

Olexandra V. Buglak, State Ecology Academy of postgraduate education and management, Kyiv

Research assistant

Katerina Y. Boiko, State Ecology Academy of postgraduate education and management, Kyiv

Research assistant

Oksana V. Lunova, State Ecology Academy of postgraduate education and management, Kyiv

PhD, Associate Professor of postgraduate education and management

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Published

2019-09-24

How to Cite

Buglak, O. V., Boiko, K. Y., & Lunova, O. V. (2019). Armed conflict as an environmental risk factor at water supply facilities in еastern Ukraine (case study of “Voda Donbassa” utility company’s Siverskyi Donets – Donbas canal). Environmental Safety and Natural Resources, 31(3), 23–32. https://doi.org/10.32347/2411-4049.2019.3.23-32