“There is nothing better on God’s green earth than the Dnipro and our glorious Ukraine”

Ukraine marked Dnipro Day on July 6. The Dnipro is more than just a river. For Ukraine, the Dnipro is life itself. It is our past — the Trypillian culture, Kyivan Rus’, and the Zaporozhian Cossacks — and its future.

With every year, water is becoming increasingly important all over the planet. The Dnipro River supplies fresh water to 75 percent of all Ukrainians and water for irrigation during dry seasons. It is a source of fish and helps restore health to children and adults. Aquatic sports take place on the river, and ships laden with cargo ply its currents. Last but not least, the river offers landscapes that bring the viewer pure aesthetic delight.

It is good that we are aware of the river’s importance and that we celebrate Dnipro Day. But are all these fireworks and other public festivities enough? Instead, perhaps we should be reflecting on ways to save the Dnipro. Ecologists are raising the alarm, noting that the river’s surface is becoming covered with duckweed and that there is a noticeable decline in the fish and plant population. The river is being killed by industrial waste.

According to the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine, 44 percent of the rivers draining into the Dnipro are in a disastrous state. Their waters are heavily polluted by chemicals and bacteria. Every year billions of tons of pollutants end up in the Dnipro Basin. Unfortunately, the National Program to Revive the Dnipro Basin and Upgrade Potable Water Quality, adopted in 1997, is no longer active, supposedly for lack of funds.

Ukrainian scientists are alarmed by UNESCO forecasts, according to which the problem of fresh water supply will become a major issue for everyone on the planet by 2020. The main reason is our careless attitude to bodies of water. Ukraine is no exception to the rule, so our experts insist that effective measures to save our country’s main river should be adopted immediately. They suggest that all rivers be issued with so-called ecological passports; above all, those that are connected to the Dnipro. Their waters must be thoroughly tested and a new national program must be launched.

But no matter how many national programs there are, no law can teach people to stop throwing domestic garbage into the Dnipro, cutting forests, and overfishing. Ecological reforms must start with each one of us.