Dnieper Basin, Ukraine

This image shows a true color view over the Dnieper Basin in Ukraine. Central on the image is the Dnieper river
and one of its tributaries, the Prypyats river (top-left part). The Dnieper rises close to Moscow and flows trhough
Belarus and Ukraine (image) into the Black Sea. Many dams have been created for electric power generation.
The results of scientific research during the last few years show that climate change in Ukraine had
significant impacts on agriculture, forestry, water and coastal resources. More and more signs of
desertification emerge not only in steppe and forest steppe zones, but also in woodlands in Polissya (dark
area upper-left) . The western part of Polissya shows increased cloudiness in the summer season, relatively
cool summers, mild winters and excessive precipitation (UNFCCC 1998). It was noted that during the last 20
years, the frequency of droughts has nearly doubled even in naturally moist regions such as Polissya.