Destruction of Ukraine's Nova Kakhovka Dam Marks Catastrophic Turn

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) issued a statement regarding the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine, highlighting the resulting humanitarian and environmental crises and the broader impacts of Russia's invasion on sustainable development.

• The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam has caused a massive humanitarian and environmental crisis, impacting tens of thousands of people immediately and likely affecting hundreds of thousands more. Immediate effects include widespread flooding in downstream communities, damage to infrastructure, and the disruption of drinking-water supplies.
• The dam's collapse has led to severe environmental contamination of the Dnipro River and surrounding areas due to the release of fuels, chemicals, and sewage. The IISD notes that the long-term effects on biodiversity and ecosystems in the Kakhovka reservoir, the Dnipro Estuary, the coastal Black Sea region, and areas downstream of the Dnipro River are unprecedented.
• Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine has caused significant human and economic loss, including the deaths of over 8,700 civilians (including more than 500 children) and a 29.1 percent decline in GDP. The conflict creates three primary risks for sustainable development: the global hunger crisis and food security, threats to the clean energy transition, and the state of multilateralism.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2023). Destruction of Ukraine's Nova Kakhovka Dam Marks Catastrophic Turn. https://www.iisd.org/articles/statement/destruction-ukraine-dam

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Destruction of Ukraine's Nova Kakhovka Dam Marks Catastrophic Turn. 2023. https://www.iisd.org/articles/statement/destruction-ukraine-dam.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Destruction of Ukraine's Nova Kakhovka Dam Marks Catastrophic Turn |date=8 June 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/statement/destruction-ukraine-dam |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2023destruction, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Destruction of Ukraine's Nova Kakhovka Dam Marks Catastrophic Turn}}, publisher = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/statement/destruction-ukraine-dam}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }