Ukraine participated in the 7th Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. The event took place in Budapest, Hungary.
During the meeting, Ukraine focused discussions on the following key issues:
- Resilience of Ukrainian water supply and wastewater systems;
- Protection of water resources in emergency situations;
- Alignment of WASH sector policies (water, sanitation, hygiene) with European standards.
As part of the conference, the Ukrainian delegation took part in the event “Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Systems for a Safe and Healthy Future,” where it delivered a statement on the impacts of Russia’s aggressive war on water supply systems.
According to Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture, Iryna Ovcharenko, Russia’s military aggression has caused severe damage to water infrastructure, wastewater facilities, and energy networks, putting millions of Ukrainians at risk of losing access to safe water and sanitation.
Key facts presented by Ukraine:
- Due to the destruction of water and energy infrastructure, 8.5 million people require access to basic water supply and sanitation services;
- According to World Bank estimates (RDNA4), losses in the water sector amount to USD 12.7 billion;
- The war has exacerbated the climate crisis. Ukraine is facing more frequent droughts, water scarcity, and contamination of surface and groundwater.
Despite these challenges, Ukraine has established mobile and decentralized water treatment systems in affected regions and is restoring facilities based on the “build back better” principle — modern, energy-efficient, and climate-resilient.
“The war has clearly shown one thing: water security is national security. We are restoring water systems at a fundamentally new level — implementing modern technologies, energy efficiency, and EU standards,” emphasized Iryna Ovcharenko.
Ukraine continues to align its legislation with EU water law. A key step is the implementation of the National Water Strategy up to 2050, which sets targets consistent with the European Protocol on Water and Health and promotes best practices in water resource security planning.
As a result of the 7th Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol, participants included the phrase “military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine” in the final document. This proposal was supported by 20 out of 29 participating countries, demonstrating a high degree of solidarity with Ukraine.
Background:
Ukraine ratified the Protocol on Water and Health to the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes in 2003. The country has undertaken an international commitment to promote public health and well-being through improved water resource management.
