Mitryasova, O. CHRONICLES OF THIRST: DOCUMENTING MYKOLAIV'S WATER SECURITY CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN A WAR-AFFECTED CITY: Monograph. Mykolaiv: PMBSNU, 2026, 124 p.

CHRONICLES OF THIRST: DOCUMENTING MYKOLAIV'S WATER SECURITY CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN A WAR-AFFECTED CITY 2.1. BUH ESTUARY: CHRONICLES OF DEGRADATION AND RESTORATION CHALLENGES The fragile balance of nature of the Buh estuary Mykolaiv is a city whose fate is inextricably linked with water. The Buh estuary, which washes its shores, is a unique hydrological system, where the fresh waters of the Southern Buh and Inhul meet the salty breath of the Black Sea. It is an estuary that, by nature, is extremely sensitive to any external influence. The hydrological characteristics of the Buh estuary limit its self-cleaning ability. Shallow water and slow circulation of masses turn it into a zone of accumulation of pollution, where natural filtration mechanisms cannot withstand excessive man-made load caused by hostilities. By 2022, the estuary was already under significant pressure from industrial discharges, port activities, and obsolete sewage treatment plants, but the full-scale war turned this chronic condition into an acute crisis (Fig. 2.1-2.2). Fig. 2.1. Image of the Buh estuary within the city of Mykolaiv: 1 – the area of the Varvarovsky bridge; 2 – Seaport (Cabotage pier). 70