When water disappears, crops, jobs, and the future of communities disappear.
It was with this in mind that a regional meeting on preventing natural disasters and providing water to the population and agricultural producers was held in Izmail on 18 December.

The south of Ukraine is in a zone of increased climate risk. Droughts, unstable water levels, and the degradation of the Danube lakes are challenges that can no longer be put off.
In his opening remarks, Rodion Abashev, Head of the Izmail Military Administration, emphasised: "the region's water security is directly linked to food security, community resilience and the ability of the agricultural sector to operate in the face of climate change.

Taras Kot, First Deputy Head of the State Agency of Ukraine for Development of Land Reclamation, Fisheries and Food Programmes, emphasised the need for systemic solutions, coordination between communities, water management structures and farmers - without pointed actions and mutual accusations.

💧 PRESSING ISSUES OF THE DANUBE REGION
The focus of the discussion is on filling the Danube reservoirs, in particular:
▪️ Katlabukh
▪️ Lake China
Both reservoirs remain critically dependent on the regulation of water exchange with the Danube. Fluctuations in water levels, siltation, outdated infrastructure and limited flow management capacities directly affect irrigation, ecosystems and communities.
📉 As of 2025:
- Danube reservoirs depend on manual filling
- Water levels are unstable, farmers work "blindly"
- Every drought season means minus crops, minus jobs, minus taxes
- Climate is changing faster than management approaches
It was during the meeting that the initiative to convene an extraordinary meeting of the Basin Council as a platform for making real decisions was voiced.

🤝 A KEY FOCUS FROM THE KATLABUGA COMMUNITY
The representative of the Katlabuzka community clearly and correctly outlined the main point:
Saving the lakes is not possible alone.
Required:
✔️ to attract investment
✔️ to unite the communities that use these water bodies
✔️ act together to keep lakes alive and not turn into dry pits
This approach is about responsibility and strategic thinking.

📊 A PROJECT THAT CHANGES THE RULES OF THE GAME - "EREIKA"
During the meeting, the eReyka project was presented, which opens a new page in the management of water resources in the Danube region.
Expected results:
🔹 Up-to-date and reliable data
Continuous monitoring of water levels in reservoirs
Uninterrupted receipt of factual information in real time
🔹 Digitalisation and European standards
Modern measuring instruments
Improving public safety during seasonal floods
🔹 The beginning of full automation
Remote control of hydraulic structures and locks
Controlling the filling of the Danube reservoirs without manual intervention.

💬 EXPERT ASSESSMENT
In her speech, Alla Stoyanova frankly outlined the reality of the South:
"Indifference to water is a direct way to lose the region.
Romania has already diverted part of the Danube flow to its side. Our task is to increase the flow of Danube water for Ukrainian communities. Building a dam at the lock is the most realistic and effective way to do this.
Without this, farmers, communities, and ecosystems will remain hostage to the climate and bureaucracy. The issue of water is the issue of development of our native Odesa region. Community amalgamation, investments, and modern technologies are the way to go together."
Alla Stoyanova's suggestions were taken into account during the discussion and included in further developments.
Water is a strategic resource in the South.
Without it, there is no agriculture, no economy, no community life.

The meeting showed:
✔️ problems named
✔️ solutions outlined
✔️ responsibility is shared
There is a lot of hard work ahead.
But it is precisely with such conversations that the rescue of the lakes, the restoration of the Danube region and the future of Odesa Oblast begin.
💧 Water does not wait.
🌍 Hromadas should unite.
🤝 Decisions need to be made today.
⚠️ WATER IS THE ECONOMY.
Without water, there is no agricultural production.
Without agricultural production, there is no food security.
There is no region without food security.