Kherson region on the brink of a climate catastrophe: how drought is destroying the agricultural sector and the ecosystem

Following the destruction of the Kakhovka Reservoir, the Kherson region has lost not just a water source, but the main factor that for decades shaped the local ecosystem. "The ecosystem, which for decades existed thanks to the water of the reservoir, has lost its foundation," notes Yuriy Kiriyak, head of the Kherson Regional Hydrometeorological Center. According to him, the creation of the Kakhovka Reservoir and the development of the irrigation system in the 20th century completely changed the climate of the south: the amount of precipitation in the region increased by approximately 30%, stable humidity appeared, and steppe landscapes turned into fertile fields. Now this artificial balance has been destroyed. In 2025, a critical moisture deficit was recorded in most of the region. "In Kherson, only 160.6 mm of precipitation fell—this is half the average amount for this date. In Velika Oleksandrivka, it was 216.8 mm against an annual norm of 497 mm," reported Kiriyak. This, ...