Ukraine floods: Why climate change and logging are blamed
When flooding hit almost 300 towns and villages in western Ukraine last week, Prime Minister Denis Shmygal said they were the biggest since the 1990s. Climate change is part of the story, but illegal logging and deforestation are also being blamed for the scale and speed of the floods.
"This stream was so small you could walk across it. I couldn't imagine it turning into the devastating flood," said Pavlo Gutsulyak, a villager in the Carpathian mountains who has lost his home.
An estimated 500km (310 miles) of roads were damaged and some routes destroyed. The damage is still being counted and the government has pledged millions towards the cost of rebuilding.
But that will only add to the economic burden for a country already expecting a decline of up to 8% of gross domestic product (GDP) this year.
Rivers rose to 3m (10ft) and the high water devastated roads, bridges, dams and property.
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