EU and UNDP to secure access to safe drinking water for over 95,000 residents in southern Ukraine

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine Provides Water Trucks and Treatment Facilities to Communities Facing Water Crisis

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, with support from the European Union, has provided water trucks and water treatment facilities to five communities in Kherson Oblast and three communities in Dnipro Oblast that face persistent water crisis as a result of the Kakhovka dam disaster and ongoing attacks on critical infrastructure.

Water Trucks and Treatment Facilities Provided

• Kherson Oblast communities:
• Beryslav
• Mylivka
• Tyahyn
• Novooleksandrivka
• Novoraysk
• Dnipro Oblast communities:
• Marhanets – 2 water trucks and 3 treatment stations
• Nikopol – 2 water trucks
• Chervonohryhorivska – 1 water truck and 2 treatment stations

Overall, UNDP has provided 10 water filtration stations and 10 water trucks, securing access to safe drinking water for over 95,000 residents in these communities.

Continued Efforts to Restore Access to Drinking Water

This marks the second handover of such equipment under a joint EU-UNDP initiative aimed at restoring access to drinking water for communities affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam. In April 2024, with funding from the European Union, UNDP delivered 15 water trucks and 30 water filtering stations to 14 communities in the Dnipro region.

Each mobile filtering station consists of two modules and can filter over 5,000 liters of water per hour, with the capacity to purify even seawater. Equipped with solar panels, these stations can operate continuously, even during power outages.

In order to secure access to drinking water for a larger number of residents, the water trucks, with a capacity of 10 cubic meters, will transport the purified water from additional sources to the rest of the settlements, particularly the remote ones.

Emphasis on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Speaking at the handover ceremony on September 16, Arturo Rodriguez Tonelli, Regional Programme Manager at the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, emphasized the importance of restoring access to essential services in Ukraine, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
2. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

“Access to safe drinking water is a fundamental human right. By providing the second batch of modern water trucks and mobile water-filtering stations, we hope to restore access for over 95,000 residents of frontline communities who face danger every day. This equipment is a sustainable solution that can operate effectively in crises due to its mobility and solar-powered energy,” Tonelli stated.

Roman Shakhmatenko, Team Leader of UNDP in Ukraine’s Energy and Environment Portfolio, highlighted UNDP’s commitment to improving the resilience of communities in the face of ongoing challenges:

“Water trucks and water filtering stations are powerful resources for communities that lack centralized water supply, suffer from power outages, and face constant attacks on infrastructure. UNDP will continue to implement initiatives to restore access to critical services in Ukraine following the principles of sustainable recovery.”

Appreciation for Support and Importance of Equipment

Yurii Yandulskii, Deputy Head of the Dnipro Regional State Administration, expressed gratitude to the partners for their support and emphasized the importance of the provided equipment:

“We felt the problem of water supply especially acutely after the Kakhovka dam destruction. We are very pleased that three communities in our region received water trucks and water filtering stations. This equipment is crucial for addressing the immediate need for potable water. I am grateful to our international partners for their comprehensive support.”

Dmytro Butriy, Deputy Head of the Kherson Regional State Administration, highlighted the scale of the ecological disaster and the challenges that the region faces on its path to recovery:

“In the context of constant shelling, targeted attacks on the infrastructure, frequent power outages, and the severe consequences of the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station, this assistance is critically important to us. Water trucks and mobile filtration stations offer a swift and effective solution to the water supply crisis, ensuring our communities have access to safe drinking water,” Butriy added.

Background

As a result of the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in June 2023, over 80 settlements in southern Ukraine were put in danger. The draining of the reservoir has led to a severe shortage of centralized water supply, further exacerbated by subsequent Russian attacks on hydraulic infrastructure.

The disaster, as highlighted in the Ukrainian government and United Nations Post-Disaster Needs Assessment report, also resulted in the loss of additional water supply to the cooling reservoir at the Kryvyi Rih Thermal Power Plant (TPP), leading to a substantial decrease of 600 MW in its generating capacity.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.
   • Indicator 6.1.1: Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.
   • Indicator 11.5.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The SDGs addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article are SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s content, the specific targets under SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation are Target 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all. The specific target under SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities is Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article mentions indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. For SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, the indicator mentioned is Indicator 6.1.1: Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services. For SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, the indicator mentioned is Indicator 11.5.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population.

The article states that the UNDP in Ukraine provided water trucks and water treatment facilities to communities facing a water crisis. This intervention aims to restore access to safe drinking water for the affected communities, which aligns with Target 6.1 of SDG 6. The provision of water trucks and treatment stations can be seen as a step towards achieving universal and equitable access to safe drinking water.

Additionally, the article mentions the ongoing attacks on critical infrastructure and the need to protect the poor and people in vulnerable situations. This aligns with Target 11.5 of SDG 11, which aims to reduce the number of deaths and people affected by disasters, including water-related disasters. The provision of water trucks and treatment stations can help mitigate the impact of water-related disasters and protect the affected communities.

The article does not provide specific data or statistics to measure progress towards the identified targets. However, the provision of water trucks and treatment stations can be seen as an immediate response to address the water crisis and protect the affected communities. Monitoring the usage and effectiveness of these interventions can provide insights into the progress towards achieving the targets.

4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: undp.org