No doubt you have been glued to the news recently over the recent Kakhovka Dam destruction. Not only has this disaster destroyed thousands of homes already, but the Red Cross has now stated that the bursting of the dam has done grevious damage to its effort to clear landmines in the area.

With both Russia and Ukraine trading accusations of blame, we can’t help but wonder if better risk management could have prevented the destruction of the dam.

Last year, there were concerns raised about its potential destruction, with the dam being a point of tension throughout the war. The nearby Zaporizhzhia nuclear power point, the largest in Europe, relies on water from the reservoir to help its cooling process. Ukraine is also the fifth largest exporter of wheat in the world, and there are warnings that this could turn their fertile source into deserts by next year because of the water needed to irrigate their crops.

So what could have been done to mitigate the risk?

In general, effective risk management can help to identify potential risks and develop strategies to mitigate or prevent them. This can involve conducting thorough risk assessments, implementing risk controls, and monitoring and reviewing risks regularly. However, in the case of the Kakhovka dam, the destruction is a result of an ongoing conflict situation, which may be difficult to predict or prevent through risk management strategies alone. Whilst there is no clear information available on the specific risk management measures in place prior to the destruction of the dam, the on-going conflict has no doubt had an enormous effect on the disaster. Managing risks for such catastrophic events is an integral part of the work we do at Lexnis Risk, but the added complication of war means that solutions are not always straightforward.