Lake near Izmail on the brink of drying up, emergency pumping launched – video

Emergency measures were taken in Ukraine’s Odesa region to forcibly pump water into Lake Katlabukh — one of the main sources of irrigation water for fields in the Izmail district — the State Agency for Land Reclamation and Fisheries reported.

Pumping began on June 30, after the water level in the lake dropped to 0.78 meters, far below the standard level of 1.7 meters.

The water crisis affecting Danube-connected lakes and reservoirs in 2025 is primarily due to the absence of spring floods and abnormally warm, dry weather.

Currently, the Danube River’s water level is near an all-time low for this time of year — and in some areas, it has fallen even further — making it practically impossible to fill reservoirs naturally through sluices.

"Activating the pumping stations to forcibly fill Lake Katlabukh is a necessary and temporary solution to stabilize the situation and avert a potential environmental disaster in the region," said Vladyslav Neveselyi, Head of the State Agency for Fisheries.

Lake Katlabukh also feeds Lake Safiany, Lake Lung, the Staronekrasivsky wetlands, and the Loschynivka and Kamianske reservoirs. It supplies water to over 7,000 hectares of irrigated farmland in the Izmail and Bolhrad districts, and serves six settlements that rely on it for household water needs.

According to the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council, the lake’s refilling had been delayed due to lack of funding — an estimated UAH 43.4 million is required.

Funds were eventually secured after the local water users' organization appealed to the authorities.

"Lake Katlabukh in the Izmail district of Odesa region is the only water source for settlements along its banks. It is essential for both domestic and agricultural use. The population has no alternative water source — local wells are already drying up," the organization warned.

• In Ukraine, around 1.5 million hectares of farmland currently require irrigation — and this area is expected to grow as climate pressures mount.