Freshwater crisis may hit Crimea this fall - expert

This was emphasized in a comment to Ukrinform by Professor Yevhen Khlobystov, Doctor of Economics, member of the expert council of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development of Crimea.

"Freshwater crisis may come to Crimea in a month or 1.5 months in the absence of a certain level of precipitation. Then reservoirs may dry up and a water crisis may unfold," he said.

At the same time, the expert noted that the residents of Simferopol and the central part of Crimea will be the first to experience a potential water shortage.

According to Khlobystov, problems with water supply in Crimea are compounded by the occupying authorities on the peninsula that have been unfairly distributing fresh water that is available, supplying it primarily to the areas where the Russian military is stationed, as well as to the resorts of Yalta, Yevpatoria, and Feodosia.

"The uncontrolled population drop and a massive military call-up of the peninsula leads to the fact that the military receives water in priority, with no restrictions. If water shortage occurs, it will primarily affect the average residents of Simferopol and Central Crimea. The ‘authorities’ in Crimea will be to the last storing water in Sevastopol, where the military is based, as well as in the resorts of Yalta, Yevpatoria, and Feodosia, so that even a small number of vacationers are forced to go through inconvenience over water supply," he explained.

At the same time, the expert noted that there is one positive point for Crimean residents – this year's summer is practically a “dead season” for the peninsula’s tourist industry so water demand has reduced significantly.

Khlobystov emphasized that "the weather has been abnormally dry on the peninsula for four months now, but it is still too early to talk about drought as it will only become clear later”.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, rivers in the temporarily occupied Crimea began to dry up due to low rainfall.