About the Institute

The institute began its work as the Scientific Research Institute of Agricultural Land Reclamation, based on regional land reclamation organizations and research stations. The resolution to establish it was adopted on December 23, 1929. The newly created institute began its full-scale activities in May 1930 in Kharkiv. In November-December 1930, the institute was moved to Odessa, where it operated until the start of World War II (1941). After a break caused by the war, the institute resumed its activities in Kyiv in May 1944, where it continues to operate fruitfully to this day.

From 1935 to 1992, the institute was called the Ukrainian Research Institute of Hydrotechnics and Land Reclamation, and from 1992 to 2011 it was known as the Institute of Hydrotechnics and Land Reclamation of the Ukrainian Academy of Agrarian Sciences, and since 2011 it has been known as the Institute of Water Problems and Land Reclamation of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine.

As of September 1, 2025, the Institute's staff consists of 102 employees, including 71 researchers, among whom are 16 doctors of science and 38 candidates of science/doctors of philosophy.

Today, the Institute consists of 8 scientific departments and a research network, a research station, and 2 research farms located in different climatic zones of Ukraine.

The Institute has had a postgraduate program since 1930, and currently offers courses in 19 Architecture and Construction, specializing in 192 Construction and Civil Engineering, and 20 Agricultural Sciences and Food, specializing in 201 Agronomy. The Institute has received certificates of accreditation for its educational programs. In early 1997, a doctoral program was opened at the Institute, and training is currently provided in the specialties 201 – “Agronomy” and 192 – “Construction and Civil Engineering.”

The institution has a specialized academic council D 26.362.01 with the right to accept for consideration and conduct the defense of dissertations for the degree of Doctor (Candidate) of Agricultural and Technical Sciences in the specialty 06.01.02 “Agricultural Land Reclamation.”

During 2021-2025 the Institute is the main institution for the implementation of the State Program of Scientific Research of the NAAS 4 “Sustainable water use, water security, land reclamation, and effective use of reclaimed land in the context of climate change,” within which fundamental and applied research is conducted under the following subprograms:

Formation of water security and restoration of water resources in the context of climate change;
Restoration and development of irrigation and drainage in Ukraine in the context of climate change;
Use of reclaimed lands in the context of climate change.

MAIN DEVELOPMENTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE INSTITUTE OF WATER PROBLEMS AND MELIORATION OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES

Irrigation and drainage strategy in Ukraine for the period up to 2030, approved by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 688-r of August 14, 2019, “On Approval of the Irrigation and Drainage Strategy in Ukraine for the Period up to 2030”; https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/688-2019-%D1%80#n10

Standards for environmentally safe irrigation, drainage, irrigation management, and water disposal, approved by Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 766 of September 2, 2020, “On Standards for Environmentally Safe Irrigation, Drainage, Irrigation Management, and Water Disposal”; https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/766-2020-%D0%BF#Text
Water Strategy of Ukraine for the period up to 2050, approved by the Order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1134-r of December 9, 2022, “On Approval of the Water Strategy of Ukraine for the period up to 2050”; https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1134-2022-%D1%80#Text
Method of scenario planning for the integrated use of water resources potential in rural areas;
Methodology for assessing the ecological status of water bodies using remote sensing methods;
Methodology for applying a set of hydrological and agroecological models to develop river basin management plans in accordance with the principles of the European Water Directive;
Scientific basis for flood protection in mountain river basins, system for organizing and monitoring riverbed processes in the riverbeds of mountain rivers in the Ukrainian Carpathians, scientific and methodological basis for comprehensive protection of rural areas and settlements from groundwater flooding and surface water flooding;
Scientific basis for the formation and implementation of water security in Ukraine in the context of climate change;
Scientific and methodological basis for the restoration of irrigation and drainage, implemented in the Concept for the Development of Irrigation in the Southern Region of Ukraine;
Assessment of the impact of climate change on river water levels and the ecological status of water bodies in Ukraine;
Scientific and methodological foundations for improving the system of state monitoring of water and reclaimed lands;
Scientific foundations for the creation of new resource-saving methods for the purification of natural waters, decentralized agricultural water supply systems, new designs for water intake and purification facilities and installations for water purification and disinfection, new technologies for the treatment of natural waters using biological methods;
Assessment and zoning of moisture conditions in Ukraine in the context of modern climate change;
Bioenergy agricultural production systems for different regions of Ukraine;
Models of sustainable, environmentally balanced food and bioenergy production in the Polissya, Forest-Steppe, and Steppe regions of Ukraine;
Scientific basis for the use of agricultural reclamation, taking into account the agro-resource potential of territories;
Algorithm and mathematical models for forecasting the productivity of field crops depending on agrometeorological and agrotechnical factors.

The Institute's developments formed the basis of the “Development of Land Reclamation Systems” project, which is included in the draft Plan for the Restoration of Ukraine under the heading “New Agricultural Policy.” Together with the World Bank, a preliminary assessment was made of the damage caused by the destruction of hydraulic structures, flooding and inundation of the territory, and disruption of water supply as a result of the Russian Federation's military actions.

Our Institute's methodological developments were used in assessing the consequences of the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP dam by Russian invaders, in particular the flooding of territories by the waters of the Kakhovka reservoir, as well as the extent of flooding of the Irpin River floodplain after the destruction of the Kazarovitsa pumping station dam.

For its significant contribution to the development of agricultural science and high professionalism, the Institute's staff has been awarded many state awards. Among them:

Certificates of Honor from the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (2005, 2019),
Certificate of Honor from the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (2019),
22 employees of the Institute have been awarded state awards, and 9 have received the title of “Honored Worker.”
A number of employees have become laureates of the USSR Council of Ministers Prize (1980), the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology (1998), and the Boris Paton National Prize of Ukraine (2024).