Technical Reports Parts C,D - ICPDR

Technical Reports – Part C: Water Quality 33
During heavy rains in warm seasons the flood events are very common also for the river Siret in
Chernivtsi region. The floods of 1% spread put on the 21,6 Th. ha of valley of Siret, Small Siret,
and Mikhindra Rivers, floods of 5% cover 17 Th. ha, the floods over 50% occupy 2 Th. ha.
The Prut River basin within the Ukrainian territory occupies Southern and Southwestern part of the
Ivano-Frankivsk region and central part of Chernivtsi region.
The mountainous landscapes, steep river gradients, frequent rains and showers are favorable for
sudden and rush floods during the whole year and practically cannot be predicted. The occurrence
of catastrophic floods is estimated as one event in 100 years. It has occurred in 1969.
4.4.5. Wetlands
Wetlands and swamps are distributed unevenly in Zakarpattia and occupy only 0,01% of
Zakarpattia region. Most of them are ameliorated and cultivated.
In Ivano-Frankivsk Region the area of wetlands is 198 ha, in Zakarpattia Region – 82,9 Th. ha,
including 0,8 ha of swamps. In Odessa Region the area of wetlands is 176 ha.
The most important wetlands of the Danube River basin are located in Odessa Region and consist
of Danube Delta and wetlands of Prydunaisky Lakes (Reservoirs). They are the wetlands of
international importance. Wetlands of Danube Delta are partly under Ramsar Convention. Under
the GEF Biodiversity Project, the whole area is planned for imposing status of protected and should
be included in the EcoCorridors. (For detail information on wetlands of Ukrainian Section of the
Danube River see Annexes, also maps 2.1., 2.2., 2.3., 2.4.).
4.4.6. Erosion and Degradation
At the Ukrainian section of the Danube River basin over 35% of agricultural lands are exposed to
water erosion; the wind erosion occurs only in Odessa region and amounts to 9% (84 Th. ha) of
total area of agricultural lands.
The erosion processes in these regions are not well studied. The same is true for the economic
losses from erosion.
By the data of the State Committee on Water Management potentially dangerous erosion is for
27% of irrigated and ameliorated lands mostly in Odessa and Chernivtsi regions. The dangerous
deflatory lands consist of 45,5, 70%, and 90% in Zakarpattia, Chernivtsi and Odessa regions
respectively.
In Zakarpattia region on the basins of the right bank tributaries of the river Tisza, which include
lowlands and medium altitude land of the Ukrainian Carpaty and lowland lomno-alluvial plain, the
erosion of ploughed lands is the highest in contact zone of these lands.
The highest portion of the eroded agricultural lands is located in Irshava and Mizhgirria districts
(29%), average size of eroded agricultural lands ( 11-14%) is in Volovets, Rakhiv, Svaliava,
Tiachiv, and Uzhgorid regions, and the smallest portion of eroded agricultural lands of Zakarpattia
region is located in Berehiv, Vinogradiv, Tiachiv, and Khust districts. The similar situation is
observed for ploured agricultural lands.
One of the important effects of the erosion is sedimentation, pollution and depletion of the water
sources.
To combat erosion and deflation it is necessary to plant over 27,1 Th. ha of forest stands, to built
erosion preventive constructions, to arrange terraces, etc.
These activities will require additional funding, which is difficult to provide under current
economic conditions.