$11 billion and 10 years: how Ukraine will restore water supply
26 March 20:14
Ukraine needs more than $11 billion and 10 years to restore its water supply system. The east and south have suffered the most, Komersant ukrainskyi reports, citing a report by LIGA.net.
After two years of full-scale war, Ukraine’s centralized water supply system is in a state of deep crisis. According to a joint estimate by the World Bank, the Government of Ukraine, the European Commission and the United Nations, full restoration of the infrastructure will require about $11.1 billion and at least ten years of systematic work.
This applies to both the restoration of physically destroyed water intakes, pumping stations, networks, and treatment facilities, and the modernization of systems that are technically outdated by 2022. The task is complicated by active hostilities, constant shelling, mining and chronic lack of resources.
The scale of the humanitarian catastrophe
Humanitarian agencies estimate that more than 1,900 settlements are partially or completely without centralized water supply. In the frontline areas of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia regions, water is either unavailable or unsafe for consumption.
The situation remains particularly critical in:
- Mariupol (occupied) – complete absence of water supply, infrastructure destroyed;
- Mykolaiv – there is water, but it is technical, and residents are forced to buy drinking water or use humanitarian aid;
- Kherson – due to the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, restoration of a full-fledged system is difficult; access to water is unstable;
- Zaporizhzhia – shelling regularly damages networks, and repair crews are working at risk.
In many rural areas, people are forced to use wells, rivers, or import water from other regions. This creates risks of epidemics, sanitation, and degradation of the quality of life, especially among vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and the sick.
What does recovery entail?
The needs assessment indicates that the reform of the water supply system should be based not only on repairing what has been damaged, but also on rethinking approaches to water security in the context of war and climate change.
It is necessary to
- completely renovate the destroyed infrastructure in the liberated territories;
- build new facilities protected from attacks: underground tanks, autonomous treatment systems, decentralized stations;
- implement energy-efficient and sustainable technologies that will save resources and adapt to climate threats;
- connect those settlements that were previously dependent on wells or boreholes to water supply systems.
Key challenges
1. The constant threat of shelling. Even the restored facilities are not guaranteed to operate safely.
2. Mine danger. Repair work is often complicated by mined areas.
3. Lack of funding. International assistance is available, but it is limited and often short-term.
4. Worn-out networks. Much of the water infrastructure was built during the Soviet period and needed to be overhauled before the war.
5. Lack of personnel. Many specialists are either mobilized or have left the dangerous regions.
Read also: Russia has caused damage to the Ukrainian environment worth more than UAH 3 trillion, – Ministry of Environment
Priority steps
The action plan for the coming years includes:
- Mobilization of donor funds from the World Bank, EBRD, EIB, USAID, and EU governments.
- Urgent repairs in critical areas – restoration of pumping stations, pipes, and temporary treatment systems.
- Pilot projects of decentralized water supply. Especially for villages and towns.
- Developing a national water security strategy.
