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Evaluating the impact on wetlands following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam by analysis of vegetation index (NDVI) via high resolution satellite data

Atkinson, Jacques LU (2024) In Student thesis series INES NGEK01 20241
Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science
Abstract
The ongoing war in Ukraine has inflicted wide ranging environmental damages, each with their own set of consequences. The catastrophic failure of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Dam on the 6th of June 2023 initiated a new cascade of environmental destruction, as hundreds of square kilometres were rapidly inundated, with hundreds more left dehydrated as the Kakhovka reservoir drained away. Within the affected region resided a large collection of Wetlands – complex ecosystems which are very sensitive to hydrological changes. With many of these wetlands protected under international treaty (the Ramsar agreements), the disaster has greatly disrupted their integrity by imposing a new set of hydrological conditions to the region.

This report... (More)
The ongoing war in Ukraine has inflicted wide ranging environmental damages, each with their own set of consequences. The catastrophic failure of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Dam on the 6th of June 2023 initiated a new cascade of environmental destruction, as hundreds of square kilometres were rapidly inundated, with hundreds more left dehydrated as the Kakhovka reservoir drained away. Within the affected region resided a large collection of Wetlands – complex ecosystems which are very sensitive to hydrological changes. With many of these wetlands protected under international treaty (the Ramsar agreements), the disaster has greatly disrupted their integrity by imposing a new set of hydrological conditions to the region.

This report analysed and compared changes to observed Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) levels across the affected wetlands and general area in the months following the incident. The results indicate mean NDVI levels fell by between 35.4% to 43.5% during the summer of 2023 compared to reference values. However, NDVI levels saw great recovery to near normal levels by August for both the inundated region downstream of the dam and within the drained Kakhovka reservoir. Furthermore, NDVI levels across the former Reservoir have indicated the growth of new vegetation, which may form future wetlands. The analysis is complemented with a discussion of the results. (Less)
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author
Atkinson, Jacques LU
supervisor
organization
course
NGEK01 20241
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Ukraine, Wetlands, Vegetation, RAMSAR, Ecosystem, Preservation, Russia-Ukraine, War, NDVI, Remote Sensing, GIS, Environment, Kakhovka Dam, Kakhovka Reservoir, Dnipro
publication/series
Student thesis series INES
report number
nr 639
language
English
id
9169418
date added to LUP
2024-07-01 10:31:13
date last changed
2024-07-01 10:31:13
@misc{9169418,
  abstract     = {{The ongoing war in Ukraine has inflicted wide ranging environmental damages, each with their own set of consequences. The catastrophic failure of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Dam on the 6th of June 2023 initiated a new cascade of environmental destruction, as hundreds of square kilometres were rapidly inundated, with hundreds more left dehydrated as the Kakhovka reservoir drained away. Within the affected region resided a large collection of Wetlands – complex ecosystems which are very sensitive to hydrological changes. With many of these wetlands protected under international treaty (the Ramsar agreements), the disaster has greatly disrupted their integrity by imposing a new set of hydrological conditions to the region.

This report analysed and compared changes to observed Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) levels across the affected wetlands and general area in the months following the incident. The results indicate mean NDVI levels fell by between 35.4% to 43.5% during the summer of 2023 compared to reference values. However, NDVI levels saw great recovery to near normal levels by August for both the inundated region downstream of the dam and within the drained Kakhovka reservoir. Furthermore, NDVI levels across the former Reservoir have indicated the growth of new vegetation, which may form future wetlands. The analysis is complemented with a discussion of the results.}},
  author       = {{Atkinson, Jacques}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Student thesis series INES}},
  title        = {{Evaluating the impact on wetlands following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam by analysis of vegetation index (NDVI) via high resolution satellite data}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}