Dnieper reservoir cascade

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The Dnieper reservoir cascade or Dnieper cascade of hydroelectric power stations (Ukrainian: Дніпровський каскад ГЕС) is a series of dams, reservoirs and hydroelectric power stations on the Dnieper river in Ukraine. It was created to prevent uncontrolled flooding^[1] and improve water transportation infrastructure. Coordination and operation of all dams on the Dnieper is conducted by government company Ukrhydroenergo.^[2] In 1970, the Kyiv dam partially prevented flooding in comparison with the 1931 Kyiv flooding.^[3]

As with any dam, the water reservoirs of the Dnieper in Ukraine pose a significant threat of a large-scale, human-made disaster if their dams fail. Those concerns were raised in particular in connection with the 2009 Sayano–Shushenskaya Dam disaster.^[4] Concerns had yet again been raised regarding an air attack of the Kakhovka Dam on July 11, 2022. The Kakhovka Dam would later fail in the result of an explosion that occurred on June 6, 2023.^[5] Flooding will impact downstream communities such as Kherson and will have devastating consequences to communities on the bank of the Dnipro River south of Nova Kakhovka.^[6]

To combat uncontrolled flooding, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine had developed a program of flooding forecasting; however, as of 2012, the Government of Ukraine refused to adopt it.^[7]