Catastrophic Floods in the Tysa River Basin Within Ukraine: Characteristics and Consequences

Researching the causes of floods and their main hydrological characteristics contributes to the efficient use of resources, environmental protection, human safety, and infrastructure resilience to emergencies. The Tysa River basin is an area that has historically been vulnerable to significant hydrological events. In the paper, the hydrological characteristics (maximum water levels, bankfull elevation, etc.) of catastrophic floods observed in the Tysa River basin (within Ukraine) up to 2020 are analysed. The findings highlight the increasing intensity and frequency of these natural disasters since the late 1960s. Furthermore, an overview of the causes and characteristics of catastrophic floods during the cold (November – May) and warm (June – October) periods in the Tysa River basin is provided. A detailed analysis of the 1998 and 2001 floods has been conducted, emphasizing the meteorological and hydrological conditions that contributed to their formation, as well as the extensive social and economic impacts they caused. This paper aims to enhance flood protection strategies through improved understanding of flood genesis, progression, and effects. The outcome will be useful for better regional planning and disaster preparedness for potentially affected areas.