Assessing habitat and biodiversity loss in active conflict zones is a major challenge¹. Independent scientific evidence on wartime impacts is essential to inform the environmental priorities of reconstruction and recovery plans. Such plans are typically developed during the conflict resolution period². However, evidence to shape biodiversity recovery plans has historically emerged many years after resolution and reconstruction². The combination of remote sensing capabilities, the availability of global environmental data and impact zone modelling now enable rapid assessments of wartime environmental impacts. Here, we describe an early scientific assessment of the potential environmental impact caused by the Kakhovka Dam breach during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and highlight the need to build on this initial evidence to inform biodiversity recovery plans in the region.

The Kakhovka Dam is located on the lower Dnipro River in the Kherson region of Ukraine, an internationally recognized biodiversity hotspot that currently lies at the ‘front line’ of the ongoing conflict. On 6 June 2023, the dam — which provides water for the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant — suffered a catastrophic breach. The cause of the breach is disputed. In the immediate aftermath, the international community understandably focused on addressing humanitarian impacts of displaced communities, and disruption and contamination of drinking water supplies. In the days following the breach, limited evidence was publicly available through which to assess the scale of the impact on downstream habitats.

评估活跃冲突地区的栖息地和生物多样性丧失是一项重大挑战¹。关于战时影响的独立科学证据对于告知重建和恢复计划的环境优先事项至关重要。此类计划通常是在冲突解决期间制定的²。然而，历史上，制定生物多样性恢复计划的证据是在解决和重建多年后才出现的²。遥感能力、全球环境数据的可用性和影响区域建模的结合现在可以快速评估战时环境影响。在这里，我们描述了对乌克兰持续冲突期间卡霍夫卡大坝决口造成的潜在环境影响的早期科学评估，并强调需要在此初步证据的基础上为该地区的生物多样性恢复计划提供信息。

卡霍夫卡大坝位于乌克兰赫尔松地区第聂伯河下游，这里是国际公认的生物多样性热点地区，目前位于持续冲突的“前线”。2023 年 6 月 6 日，为卡霍夫卡水力发电厂供水的大坝遭遇灾难性决口。违规原因存在争议。事件发生后，国际社会立即将重点放在解决流离失所社区的人道主义影响以及饮用水供应的中断和污染上，这是可以理解的。在违规事件发生后的几天里，公开的证据有限，无法评估对下游栖息地的影响程度。