Results of the sociological research “Kakhovka reservoir: past, present, and future”

Abstract

The full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine has caused great human, environmental, and economic losses. The situation was complicated by the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station dam, which drained the reservoir and destroyed the main source of water supply for southern Ukraine. This negatively affected the environment and triggered a socio-economic crisis in the regions dependent on irrigated agriculture. Therefore, in the post-war period, an important step is to reassess the priority of sustainable development goals for southern Ukraine to ensure the survival, return and continued existence of the population, and the potential for development of the territories. In this context, it is essential to consider public opinion and the perspective of the local population regarding regional strategies and measures for the post-war restoration of the affected areas. The results of our social research showed that 79.4% of respondents depended on the Kakhovka reservoir for their livelihoods and economic activities, and 85.7% of respondents believed that the prosperity of the Kherson region depended on the functioning of the reservoir. It was found that 81.5% of respondents consider it necessary to restore, fill, and operate the reservoir using new technologies. In particular, 65.8% of respondents believe that post-war recovery decisions should be based on the collective vision of scientists, government and local authorities, international experts, and business representatives. It was discovered that 54% of respondents preferred the awareness of the scientific community, the authenticity and reliability of information in scientific publications. 88.0% of the respondents are of the opinion that draining the Kakhovka reservoir is a complex problem of ensuring the continued existence of the region in terms of economy, ecology, and social security. Discussion of the problems of restoring the Kakhovka reservoir is relevant since 94.8% of respondents currently live in the damaged areas or plan to return there after the war. Thus, the scale and damage from the destruction of the Kakhovka reservoir by the occupying forces is determined by the severity of environmental and socio-economic consequences, as well as the possibility of post-war restoration of damaged territories according to the local population’s vision.