ASSESSMENTS
Under Russia, Crimea’s Future Grows Dimmer -- and Drier
Feb 24, 2020 | 09:00 GMT
![This photo shows a dry irrigation canal in Crimea.](https://worldview.stratfor.com/sites/default/files/styles/2x1_full/public/crimea%20canal%20display%20shutterstock_591066431.jpg?itok=KCELrQX2)
An irrigation canal in Crimea runs dry without access to the North Crimean Canal. Russia’s annexation in 2014 has since severed the peninsula’s access to crucial Ukrainian water flows.
(A_Lesik/Shutterstock)
Highlights
- Crimea has suffered increasingly greater water scarcity since the Russian annexation led Ukraine to suspend access to the North Crimean Canal in 2014.
- With Ukraine unwilling to reopen crucial water flows, Russia’s only options to permanently fix Crimea's water shortages and sustain economic activity over the long term would require costly infrastructure projects.
- Even if Moscow foregoes a massive overhaul, it could still use Crimea use as a military bastion, though it would mean sacrificing the peninsula’s agricultural contribution to Russian exports.
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