Hydraulic engineering reform in action: Ukraine's parliament passes law on public operators

On February 25, 2026, Ukraine's parliament passed a law “On amendments to certain legislative acts regarding the improvement of the management system for state-owned engineering infrastructure facilities of irrigation systems.” The decision was voted for by 229 members of parliament. The law opens the next stage of irrigation and drainage reform and should make state irrigation and drainage systems more reliable and manageable.

The adopted document is a continuation of the comprehensive land reclamation reform that began in previous years. It develops the provisions of the Law of Ukraine “On Water User Organizations and the Promotion of Hydrotechnical Land Reclamation” and is part of the implementation of Ukraine's Irrigation and Drainage Strategy until 2030.

In particular, the document provides for the creation of land reclamation system operators in the form of state-owned non-profit enterprises, transparent rules for setting tariffs for water supply and drainage, and the involvement of representatives of farmers and water users in management through supervisory boards. This will reduce water losses, improve service quality, and create incentives for investment in infrastructure modernization.

The law changes the approach to management: instead of a purely budgetary model, a more flexible and economically sustainable system is being introduced, with clear responsibilities for operators and the participation of water users themselves.

The adopted document will contribute to:

• increasing irrigation and drainage areas;

• reducing the cost of irrigation;

• minimizing the risks of water supply interruptions during the growing season;

• increasing crop yields and the share of high-margin crops;

• increasing employment in rural areas;

• increasing tax revenues and foreign exchange earnings from agricultural exports.

"The adopted law is about the practical effectiveness of land reclamation. We are moving to a model where state infrastructure works more stably, transparently, and with a focus on the needs of water users. The reform will help attract investment, reduce irrigation costs, and increase yields. For farmers, this will mean more reliable irrigation and less water and money wasted," said Oleksii Sobolev, Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture of Ukraine.

The implementation of the law is expected to help agricultural producers plan production on irrigated land more stably, reduce the risk of water supply disruptions during the season, and create conditions for expanding land reclamation areas.