18 June, 2024

Carl Nasman Washington DC It has been a year since Ukraine's Kakhovka dam was destroyed, leading to widespread flooding and destruction. This week, we learn how Ukraine is documenting environmental crimes and explore who will be held accountable, and how, when the war ends. Also in this edition is a look at the plant protecting the Caribbean from extreme weather, plus we share the story of an Ecuadorian forest that became a legal person.

CLIMATE CONVERSATION  The toxic legacy of the Ukraine war The Ukraine war has inflicted widespread damage on the environment. Credit: Getty Images It's been called "one of the biggest human-caused disasters of our time". ‌ One year ago this month, Ukraine's Kakhovka dam was destroyed, unleashing 18 cubic km (4.3 cubic miles) of water – about the volume of the Great Salt Lake in the state of Utah. ‌ Downstream, dozens of villages were flooded. Scores of people were killed. And the environmental damage was widespread. ‌ "The polluted water basically destroyed natural habitats, waterways – it flooded the Black Sea Basin," says Sasha Dovzhyk, the editor of the London Ukrainian Review. ‌ Russia and Ukraine blamed each other for the incident, but Ukraine's prosecutor general and a team from the International Criminal Court say it's "highly likely" Russia is responsible.

The destruction of the Kakhovka dam unleashed 18 cubic km (4.3 cubic miles) of water. Credit: Getty Images The flooding underlines the extreme damage the war has been inflicting on Ukraine's environment. In fact, Dovzhyk describes the conflict as a war being waged on nature. ‌ "Nature has been subject to pollution through bombings, through shelling, through mining and other effects of armed conflicts," she says. "Nature is a silent victim and a silent witness to this war." ‌ Ukrainians have been documenting the damage. The country's environment ministry has launched a website to tally environmental damages in the wake of the war. So far, it's found more than 5,000 instances. ‌ "When you go through the areas that have been affected by fighting, you can see the effects on the natural landscape," says Dovzhyk, adding that many of Ukraine's trees "are broken".

'A war waged on nature' The conflict is harming wildlife too. Scientists believe sonar, used by Russian submarines for navigation, has had a deadly effect on dolphins in the Black Sea. A tally in May 2022 found 2,500 dead dolphins had washed ashore. (Read more in this BBC Future article by Alix Kroeger.) ‌ Other war damage is more hidden. Ukraine is now the most heavily mined country in the world. ‌ "One third of Ukrainian territory is currently covered in explosives of all kinds. You literally cannot enter the forest because wherever there is high grass, you risk your life or your leg at the very least. The high grass can hide land mines that have been dispersed there by Russians from the air," says Dovzhyk. ‌ Ukraine is often called the "breadbasket of Europe",  but much of its fertile soil has been contaminated by heavy metals, fuel and chemical residues from ammunition and missiles. (Read more about the toxic legacy of the Ukraine war in this story by Anna Turns.) ‌ The destruction of the Kakhovka dam wreaked further havoc on Ukrainian farms. ‌ "The area that was flooded (…) is actually among the most productive land in Europe. It's Ukraine's famous black soil that produces the food that feeds not only our country, but also the Middle East and Africa," says Dovzhyk. ‌ As the war grinds into its third year, Ukrainians like Dovzhyk are wondering who will be held accountable when the fighting ends – and how. ‌ Ukraine is looking into legal options, including charges of "ecocide" – or deliberate environmental harm – against Russia. Although it's not yet considered a crime at the International Criminal Court, international humanitarian law requires that wars be waged with "due regard for the protection and preservation of the natural environment".  ‌ "Unfortunately, unlike us, nature has no other means to declare its rights," says Dovzhyk. "So we have to do it for it." (Read more about Ukraine's fight for environmental justice in this story by Darya Tsymbalyuk.)

NUMBER OF THE WEEK 100F Many cities across the western US are experiencing dangerous temperatures exceeding 100F (37.8C) due to an ongoing heat dome. White roads and green roofs are some of the measures cities are implementing to combat rising heat,Lucy Sherriff reports.

TAKE A MOMENT The mirrors warding off extreme heat In Sierra Leone's scorching shanty towns, mirrored roofs are helping keep families cool.  Read more

CLIMATE QUIZ Which plant is protecting Trinidad from hurricane weather? A. Aloe vera B. Vetiver C. Papaya ‌

THE BIG PICTURE The cloud forest granted legal rights In 2021, Ecuador's Constitutional Court ruled that plans to mine in Los Cedros contravened the forest's rights of nature. Credit: Murray Cooper In Ecuador's Los Cedros cloud forest, monkeys squeal, squirrels scuffle and 400 species of bird flit and squawk. The forest is a biodiversity haven teeming with life. Its thriving status is largely thanks to an influential global movement that is fighting for nature to be granted legal rights. In 2021, Ecuador's Constitutional Court recognised Los Cedros as a legal person and ruled that mining activities contravened the forest's "rights of nature". The ruling was resoundingly positive for the animals, plants and fungi residing in Los Cedros as it forced mining companies to immediately leave, protecting their habitat from deforestation and destruction. Read Becca Warner's story about Los Cedros here.

BEFORE YOU GO Are we spending enough on renewable energy to put the brakes on climate change? The Climate Question investigates. Drones are revealing humpback whales' acrobatic moves while feeding off the coast of Antarctica. Spain's renewable energy sector has experienced a boom in recent years, but demand is lagging, BBC News reports.

AND FINALLY... A third of Himalayan glaciers could vanish by the end of the century due to climate change, leading to severe water shortages for the 129 million farmers who depend on glacial meltwater. Witnessing the water shortages his community was facing in north India's Himalayas, 88-year-old Chewang Norphel came up with an innovative technique to capture and freeze water from outdoor taps. Known as the "Ice Man of Ladakh", Norphel has built artificial glaciers in 11 villages across India's Ladakh region, providing farmers with water to irrigate their crops. Read more in this story by Kanika Gupta.