The Black Sea in Peril: The Echoes of War Ripple Beyond Borders

On the night of June 6, 2023, the Russian military blasted Ukraine's Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant in a grotesque act of military desperation. The act classified as an "ecocide" has pushed the limits of the region's ecological resilience.

The resulting surge of poisoned water unleashed an ecological catastrophe upon the Black Sea, already choking from wartime neglect. But the environmental policies of the Black Sea region states have generally been weak and lack clear objectives, which has contributed to the fragility of the Black Sea ecosystem and the regional cooperation in addressing environmental challenges, such as pollution, has been inadequate due to the absence of a systemic framework and coordinated efforts.

Through a collaboration that was led and managed by the Investigative Media Lab, investigative journalists from six Black Sea countries – Ukraine, Georgia, Turkey, Romania, Moldova, and Bulgaria – have come together to measure the impact of the war on the already fragile ecosystem of the Black Sea and scrutinize how governments are responding to this new regional challenge.  

Photo credit: Nikcenter.org