Protective dam on the Danube begins to deteriorate: Odesa–Reni highway and farmland at risk of flooding

A dangerous deterioration of hydraulic infrastructure has been recorded in the Lower Danube region. Due to the spring rise in water levels on the Danube River, the protective dam of the “Prorva – Pamiatnyk” шлюз system at river mile 54–55 has begun to collapse. The information was reported during an extraordinary session of the Izmail District Council.

According to local authorities, the increasing water flow is actively eroding the structure, and approximately 900 meters of the dam crest have already been damaged. If water levels continue to rise, the situation may lead to large-scale consequences, including the flooding of sections of the international Odesa–Reni highway and more than 25,000 hectares of fertile agricultural land within the Reni community.

Another serious concern is the potential threat to the drinking water supply system of the city of Izmail. Artesian wells that provide the city with potable water are located within the potential flooding zone. In the event of a breach or significant inundation, the region could face not only environmental but also humanitarian risks.

It should be noted that most hydraulic structures in this part of the Danube were constructed in the 1950s–1970s. After decades of operation, these facilities have experienced significant physical wear, while changing hydrological conditions and climate variability are increasing pressure on the aging infrastructure. Flooding occurs in this area almost every year, with the city of Vylkove traditionally being among the most vulnerable settlements.

Experts from the Institute of Danube Research emphasize that the problem has a systemic character and requires a comprehensive infrastructure approach.

“The hydraulic infrastructure of the Lower Danube was built in a different historical period and no longer fully corresponds to current hydrological pressures. Today the issue is not limited to local repairs of dams, but concerns the modernization of the entire flood protection system in the delta and surrounding territories. It is especially important to integrate such projects into broader transboundary water management initiatives within cooperation between Ukraine and other Danube basin countries,” the Institute’s experts note.

Specialists also stress the need to develop a modern hydrological monitoring system and to modernize protective structures along the Ukrainian section of the Danube. This should include both engineering reinforcement of dams and the attraction of international funding through European programs on water management and climate adaptation.

According to experts, modernization of flood protection infrastructure in the Danube region is critical not only for safeguarding local communities but also for ensuring the stability of key transport corridors, agricultural production, and water security in southern Odesa region.