Tag #Ecosystem Recovery

What are the immediate and long-term environmental consequences of the Kakhovka dam's destruction, and how do these impacts affect human populations?

The Kakhovka dam's destruction released less than 1% of 83,000 tonnes of heavy metals in lakebed sediments, but the remaining pollutants pose a long-term threat to human health via water contamination. The immediate impact included flooding, killing 84 people and significantly impacting aquatic life, including the loss of juvenile fish and macroinvertebrates. Reforestation and wildlife return are observed, but heavy metal contamination complicates the long-term ecological outlook.