Ukraine has officially adopted eight River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs), marking an important milestone in its journey towards sustainable water management in line with European Union (EU) and international standards. Supported by the EU4Environment - Water Resources and Environmental Data programme, the plans outline strategies and actions to protect and manage the country’s river basins. 

Adoption of Eight River Basin Management Plans 

On November 1st 2024, Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers approved eight RBMPs covering the Dniester, Dnipro, Don, Southern Bug, Black Sea, Azov Sea, Vistula, and Crimean river basins. With the Danube basin plan still to be adopted, the nine plans cover more than 600,000 km² (about the size of France) and will provide benefit some 40 million Ukrainians. The 9 plans include programmes of measures to reduce local pollution and improve deteriorated riverbeds with an estimated investment need of €7.7 billion* (€7.3 billion for the 8 adopted RBMPs), or €32 per inhabitant per year (over 6 years). 70% of these measures focus primarily on sanitation. 

*The EUR/UAH rate is from June 2024 and the calculations of the cost of measures were carried out during 2016-2023.

Credit: Blue Rivers Ukraine. 

The preparation of these complex and extensive RBMP documents, each of which runs to several hundred pages and contains thousands of facts and figures, is all the more remarkable when one considers the very scattered sources of information in Ukraine and the particularly difficult working conditions during the Russian war of aggression.  

Credit: Blue Rivers Ukraine. 

The RBMPs are designed to address key water management issues such as wastewater from cities and industries, water abstraction from agriculture, and water ecosystem health, putting Ukraine on a path to align with the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). In particular, the Dnipro basin — the largest river basin in Ukraine and one of the largest in Europe — serves as a model for the implementation of sustainable water management practices throughout the country. 

EU Support for RBMPs Development 

The plans were developed by Ukrainian experts with guidance and financial support from the European Union through the EU Water Initiative + (2016-2020) and the EU4Environment - Water and Environmental Data programme (2021-2024). They reflect a basin-wide approach, focusing on all surface and groundwater systems rather than on individual water user sectors. The plans promote better protection of water resources, equitable  distribution of water and sustainable management practices. Public consultations from December 2023 to June 2024 ensured that local voices and stakeholder input were included in the final drafts. 

While the data currently available on the status of water bodies are not comprehensive for the whole country, but only available for a few localised areas, future monitoring programmes must provide much needed knowledge. Such limitations also existed in some river basins of EU Member States, when their first RBMPs were drafted 20 years ago. Improving Ukraine’s capacity in water data sampling and analysis is another task of the ongoing EU support. It is expected that  future RBMP updates will benefit from improved water monitoring, which will allow for testing and verification of improvements or deteriorations in environmental and chemical status, and consequently the design of even more targeted measures. 

Background on Ukraine’s Water Challenges and EU Integration 

As the largest country in Europe, Ukraine faces various water challenges in its different regions.  While the Carpathian region is rich in water, freshwater resources are limited, especially in the dry steppe landscapes of the south and east.  

Aligning its water management policies with EU standards has been a priority for Ukraine since signing the EU Association Agreement in 2017. In 2022, Ukraine’s EU candidate status further reinforced the need for environmental reforms, and in December 2023, the European Council decided to open EU accession negotiations with Ukraine, recognising the progress made. 

This achievement underlines Ukraine’s resilience and commitment to environmental sustainability, even in challenging times, in the face of Russia’s war of aggression and its severe impact on water resources and water infrastructure, such as the destruction of the Kakhovka reservoir. Currently, two River Basin Districts are fully occupied (Crimean rivers and Azov Sea rivers) and three are partially occupied (Don, Dnipro and Black Sea rivers).  

The adoption of these RBMPs brings Ukraine one step closer to meeting EU standards for water management, ensuring a greener and more sustainable future.

*The EUR/UAH rate is from June 2024 and the calculations of the cost of measures were carried out during 2016-2023.

Ivano-Frankivsk hosts key talks on Dniester River management 

The Commission on the Sustainable Use and Protection of the Dniester River Basin convened its working groups in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, on September 5-6, 2024, to discuss strategies for sustainable river basin management, water monitoring, and information exchange between Moldova and Ukraine. 

The two-day meetings gathered experts from both countries to review and plan key initiatives for the Dniester River Basin. The first day featured the 8th meeting of the Working Group on River Basin Planning and Management. Key topics included presentations on the National River Basin Management Plans (RBMP) for Moldova and Ukraine, covering the period up to 2030, alongside discussions on flood risk management and the hydrological regime of the Dniester River. 

On the second day, the focus shifted to the Working Group on Monitoring and Information Exchange, which evaluated the state of water quality monitoring in the transboundary basin. Presentations highlighted the assessment of chemical and ecological statuses of water bodies, and joint efforts in water sampling were undertaken to ensure data consistency across borders. Participants also discussed the alignment of their activities with EU water monitoring regulations, setting the stage for coordinated water management efforts in the coming years. 

These meetings reflect ongoing efforts by both countries to ensure the sustainable use and protection of the Dniester River Basin, an essential water resource shared by Moldova and Ukraine. 

Article on the website of the Ministry of Environment of Moldova: https://www.mediu.gov.md/ro/content/5052 

These efforts are part of a broader regional initiative supported by the EU, aiming to improve water management in Eastern Partnership countries. For more details on Ukraine’s progress in the water sector with EU support, read this article. 

More information about transboundary cooperation: https://www.eu4waterdata.eu/en/blog-news/54-eap-region/140-world-environment-day-cooperation-on-shared-waters-in-the-eastern-partner-countries.html 

Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has caused extensive damage to irrigation, water supply, sanitation and water ecosystems. Here are some findings of The World Bank for the water sector from the third Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA3), February 2022 - December 2023.

The full report is available here: https://documents.banquemondiale.org/fr/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/099021324115085807/p1801741bea12c012189ca16d95d8c2556a

Irrigation and Agriculture

Before the war, agriculture accounted for a significant share of Ukraine's GDP (10%) and exports (41%). Although irrigation is used on only 1% of all agricultural land, it is vital for crops such as potatoes, tomatoes and rice. Drainage systems, which provide usable pasture and forage land, covered 10% of agricultural land and significantly increase the country's production capacity for cereals and beef.

The war resulted in the destruction of water infrastructure vital to the agricultural sector, such as irrigation canals, pumps and reservoirs, with damage estimated at $740.2 million and total reconstruction needs of $10.7 billion over the next decade.  Damage to the irrigation and water sector in Ukraine increased dramatically, rising by 95%, mainly due to the destruction of the Kakhovka dam on 6 June 2023.

Priority must be given to modernising drainage and irrigation systems not only to secure the country's vital economic sector, but also to reduce the impact of agriculture on ecosystems. This means reducing the amount of pesticides discharged into rivers, and making Ukrainian landscapes more resilient to floods and droughts in the face of the effects of climate change.

Water Supply and Sanitation

Access to centralised piped water supply and wastewater collection and treatment services in Ukraine was already limited before the war: 70% and 50% of the population respectively, with significant inequalities between urban and rural areas. The level of water supply and sanitation services was relatively low for a country seeking to align its sector requirements with those of the European Union's water directives.

The war exacerbated the situation, leaving millions of Ukrainians with intermittent or inadequate water services. Destruction of networks and infrastructure, as well as power cuts, are severely affecting service delivery across the country. The WASH Cluster (a network of actors working in the Water Sanitation and Health (WASH) sector and led by UNICEF) estimated that there are 9.6 million people in need for essential water supply and sanitation services for 2024 alone. In particular, up to 1 million people have lost access to drinking water following the breach of the Kakhovka dam. The report estimates the damage to the water and sanitation sector at nearly $4 billion and the total reconstruction and recovery needs at $11.1 billion for 2024-2033.

Short-term needs focus on maintaining and restoring service delivery by rebuilding damaged infrastructure and strengthening local technical and operational capacity to complete previously planned WSS development schemes. The report emphasises the need to decentralise water supply and sanitation facilities, to favour low-cost and easy-to-maintain infrastructure relevant to Ukraine, and to reform water tariffs to enable the sector to be adequately financed.

Natural resources and ecosystems

The war has led to extensive pollution of air, water, soil and biota, exacerbated by the breach of the Kakhovka Dam, with long-term health and environmental risks. In a country with pre-war environmental problems (including poor urban air quality, poor waste management and ineffective environmental controls), the long-term effects of damage could be even more destructive than the immediate effects.

The disastrous flooding following the breach of the Kakhovka dam poses additional long-term health risks due to the discharge of hazardous chemicals from downstream manufacturing facilities. The floodwaters were also contaminated with biological hazards, such as untreated sewage and dead wildlife, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and others.

While Ukraine's current environmental legislation is relatively good, including from an EU perspective, implementation and enforcement remain weak.

According to The World Bank report, an estimated US$ 665 million will be needed for capacity building activities to strengthen environmental governance, mainly for emergency containment and clean-up of pollution.

Natural ecosystems such as rivers, groundwater, forests, etc. will take much longer than a few months to recover their capacity to provide ecosystem services. For example, the minimum recovery period for the provision of services in the fire-damaged forest areas will be 20 years or more (longer for ecological services).

In the future, restoring ecosystem service values for the Ukrainian context could avoid the need to use global or regional averages.

Despite the war, professionals in the Ukrainian water sector are doing their utmost to continue providing the many services needed by the population and to understand the damage to ecosystems as best they can. This video, produced by the Ukrainian Water Agency with EU support, shows the courage and dedication of Ukraine's water professionals.

Read more:

Our article about the impact of the Kakhovka dam destruction (July 2023)

CEOBS and Zoï Environment Network article about the impact of the Russia's war on water resources (December 2022), with maps and detailed case study of the Irpine river.

The Vyshgorod laboratory of the State Agency for Water Resources of Ukraine has received accreditation in accordance with the requirements of DSTU EN ISO/IEC 17025:2019, which certifies compliance with the latest international quality standards for laboratories.

This accreditation follows support from the EU, notably the EU4Environment Water and Data Programme, which provided equipment, training and assistance in the preparation of the necessary documentation required for accreditation (including the establishment of appropriate quality management system documentation).

The accreditation confirms that the results provided by the Vyshgorod laboratory for drinking water, wastewater and surface and groundwater monitoring are consistent and trustworthy, allowing policy decisions to be made on the basis of sound scientific evidence.

Read more (in Ukrainian) on the website of the State Agency of Water Resources of Ukraine

Ukrainian version below. Українська версія нижче. 

On December 21, 2023, the State Agency of Water Resources, hosted a press conference in Kyiv to kick off the public consultation of the nine new draft River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) of the country. The development of management plans for the river basins of Ukraine is backed by the European Union through the EU4Environment Water and Data programme. The public consultation on the plans will continue until June 2024, before the plans will be finalized and formally adopted by the Government.

“We are really impressed that Ukraine has accomplished the production of all nine plans under the given conditions of war and limited data available. The State Agency for Water Resources and a team of competent experts worked very hard to collect most of the required comprehensive information”, said Alexander Zinke from the Environment Agency Austria and leader of the EU4Environment Water and Data programme. “These plans are the basis for an integrated, EU-compliant water management.”

Philippe Seguin from the International Office for Water in France added: “It is our privilege to provide guidance and financial support to the Ukrainian water sector to develop these ambitious plans. They still need some improvement and we will continue our support. We hope that the public participating in the consultation will contribute to finishing these plans in summer 2024”

The importance given by the Ukrainian Government to the process of consulting the prepared draft River Basin Management Plans, a fundamental principle of the EU Water Framework Directive, reflects Ukraine's commitment to sustainable water management and to swiftly aligning with European water law standards.

Expected adoption of the plans by the end of 2024

Over the past two years, Ukrainian experts dedicated their efforts to finalize the Dnipro River Basin Management Plan, the biggest river basin in Ukraine (covering 65% of the country and home to 30 million inhabitants), with the support of the EU4Environment Water and Data programme. The largest river basin district of Ukraine comprises four sub-basins (Upper Dnipro and the Desna, Prypiat, Middle Dnipro, and Lower Dnipro).

The Dnipro River Basin Management Plan is serving as a blueprint for the development of management plans for the other eight river basins across Ukraine: Dniester, Danube, Southern Bug, Don, Vistula, Crimea, and the coastal streams of the Black Sea and the Azov Sea. All river basins in Ukraine discharge directly or indirectly into the Black Sea, except the Vistula, which flows towards the Baltic Sea.

The River Basin Management Plans focus on the spatial unit of river basins, a fundamental principle of the EU Water Framework Directive, transcending traditional sectoral water use and management. The river basin approach offers a decentralized framework, addressing local water challenges effectively and promoting equal access to water while ensuring the long-term sustainability of water resources across the entire basin. This progress has been achieved despite the military aggression by Russia in Ukraine.

Clear vision for Ukraine's future water management in the aftermath of the War

The process of public consultation about the draft plans will last for six months. The public consultation process comes in addition to a more formal participative process through  meetings of River Basin Councils which engage water management institutions, local authorities and representatives of water users. The now started public consultation opens the dialogue on water resources protection and fair use to the wider public:local residents and stakeholders who have different levels of knowledge, engagement and interests about water resources.

The EU4Environment Water and Data programme supports this consultation process in Ukraine. It plays a pivotal role in enhancing Ukrainian stakeholders' capacities to collaboratively assess their river basins, considering the impacts of the ongoing war and outlining necessary measures and associated costs. The programme supports also the preparation of the Strategic Environmental Assessments of the nine River Basin Management Plans.

Background information

Ukraine is the country with the largest territory in Europe, yet the availability of renewable freshwater resources for its 42 million inhabitants is roughly twice as small on average as that of European countries. Water availability is unevenly distributed: while the north of the country enjoys good access to water, regions in the south and east have water shortages.

Ukraine has assumed commitments to reform water policies as part of the Association Agreement signed with the European Union that entered into force on 1 September 2017. This includes alignment with the EU water law, in particular, the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The EU candidate status granted to Ukraine in June 2022 recognises significant progress but also stresses the need to facilitate policy reforms in accordance with EU norms and standards. For over a decade, the European Union has provided comprehensive support for reforming the water sector in Ukraine. Recognising the good progress in various policy fields, the European Council has decided on 14-15 December to open accession negotiations with Ukraine.

Map: River Basin Districts in Ukraine. Credit: Oksana Konovalenko, EUWI+ project

Дев'ять проєктів планів управління річковими басейнами України

21 грудня 2023 року Державне агентство водних ресурсів України організувало прес-конференцію в Києві, з метою розпочати громадське обговорення дев’яти нових проєктів Планів управління річковими басейнами (ПУРБ) країни. Розробка планів управління річковими басейнами України підтримується Європейським Союзом через Програму «Європейський Союз для довкілля: водні ресурси та екологічні дані». Громадські консультації щодо планів триватимуть до червня 2024 року, перш ніж плани будуть остаточно доопрацьовані та офіційно ухвалені Урядом.

«Ми справді вражені тим, що Україна завершила розробку всіх дев’яти планів за складних умов війни та обмежених даних. Держводагентство та команда компетентних експертів дуже багато працювали, щоб зібрати більшу частину необхідної вичерпної інформації», – сказав Олександр Зінке з Агентства з навколишнього середовища Австрії та керівник Програми ЄС. «Ці плани є основою для інтегрованого управління водними ресурсами, яке відповідає вимогам ЄС».

Філіп Сеган з Міжнародного офісу водних ресурсів у Франції додав: «Ми маємо честь надавати консультації та фінансову підтримку українському водному сектору для розробки цих амбітних планів. Вони все ще потребують удосконалення, і ми продовжуватимемо нашу підтримку. Ми сподіваємося, що громадськість, яка бере участь у консультаціях, сприятиме завершенню цих планів влітку 2024 року».

Важливість, яку український Уряд надає процесу консультацій з підготовленими проєктами ПУРБ, що є основоположним принципом Водної рамкової директиви ЄС, відображає зобов’язання України щодо сталого управління водними ресурсами та швидкої гармонізації із стандартами європейського водного права.

Очікуване прийняття планів до кінця 2024 року

Протягом останніх двох років українські експерти присвятили свої зусилля завершенню розробки Плану управління басейном річки Дніпро, найбільшого річкового басейну в Україні (охоплює 65% території країни, де проживає 30 мільйонів жителів), за підтримки Програми «Європейський Союз для довкілля: водні ресурси та екологічні дані». Найбільший район річкового басейну України складається з чотирьох суббасейнів (Верхнього Дніпра та Десни, Прип'яті, Середнього Дніпра та Нижнього Дніпра).

План управління басейном річки Дніпро є основою для розробки планів управління для інших восьми річкових басейнів в Україні: Дністра, Дунаю, Південного Бугу, Дону, Вісли, Криму, річок Причорномор’я та Приазов’я. Усі річкові басейни України прямо чи опосередковано впадають у Чорне море, за винятком Вісли, басейн якої належить до Балтійського моря.

Плани управління річковими басейнами України зосереджені на просторовій одиниці річкових басейнів, фундаментальному принципі Водної рамкової директиви ЄС, що виходить за межі традиційного секторального водокористування та управління. Підхід до річкового басейну пропонує децентралізовану структуру, яка ефективно вирішує місцеві водні проблеми та сприяє рівному доступу до води, забезпечуючи при цьому довгострокову стійкість водних ресурсів у всьому басейні. Цей прогрес був досягнутий, незважаючи на військову агресію рф в Україні.

Чітке бачення майбутнього управління водними ресурсами України після війни

Процес громадського обговорення проєктів ПУРБ триватиме півроку. Процес громадських консультацій є доповненням до більш формального процесу участі через засідання Рад річкових басейнів, які залучають водогосподарські установи, місцеву владу та представників водокористувачів. Розпочата публічна консультація відкриває діалог щодо охорони водних ресурсів та справедливого використання для широкої громадськості: місцевих жителів та зацікавлених сторін, які мають різний рівень знань, залученості та інтересів щодо водних ресурсів.

Програма «Європейський Союз для довкілля: водні ресурси та екологічні дані» підтримує цей процес консультацій в Україні. Він відіграє ключову роль у зміцненні спроможності українських зацікавлених сторін спільно оцінювати свої річкові басейни, враховуючи наслідки війни, що триває, та окреслюючи необхідні заходи та відповідні витрати. Програма також підтримує підготовку Стратегічної екологічної оцінки дев'яти планів управління річковими басейнами.

Довідкова інформація

Україна є найбільшою за територією країною в Європі, але доступність відновлюваних ресурсів прісної води для її 42 мільйонів жителів у середньому приблизно вдвічі менша, ніж у європейських країнах. Забезпеченість водою розподілена нерівномірно: у той час як північ країни має хороший доступ до води, регіони на півдні та сході мають дефіцит води.

Україна взяла на себе зобов’язання щодо реформування водної політики в рамках Угоди про асоціацію з Європейським Союзом, яка набула чинності 1 вересня 2017 року. Це включає гармонізацію з водним законодавством ЄС, зокрема Водною рамковою директивою. Статус кандидата в ЄС, наданий Україні в червні 2022 року, визнає значний прогрес, але також підкреслює необхідність сприяти реформам політики відповідно до норм і стандартів ЄС. Понад десять років Європейський Союз надає всебічну підтримку реформуванню водного сектору в Україні. Визнаючи хороший прогрес у різних сферах політики, Європейська рада 14-15 грудня схвалила початок переговорів про вступ України в Європейський Союз.

Карта: Райони річкових басейнів України. Авторство: Оксана Коноваленко, проект EUWI+