Three main objectives, 11 specific objectives and as many as 31 types of activities constitute the main part of the Polish Waters National Water Management project entitled “Review and update of flood risk management plans (FRMP)”. Stakeholders and experts discussed these issues on November 17 at the Stop Flooding conference “Objectives. Actions. Security”.
– We are currently in the II planning cycle in flood risk management. The ongoing conceptual work is accompanied by the implementation of specific activities planned in previous years. The most spectacular of such projects, though not the only one, is the Racibórz Dolny retention reservoir, which was put into operation in mid-year. The investment provides flood protection on the section of the Odra River from Racibórz to Wrocław, including symbolic cities tragically affected by the flood of the millennium in 1997. Already in mid-October, the facility underwent the first, serious test, accepting the waters carried by the flood wave on the Odra River. In total, the reservoir collected over 50 million cubic meters of water, directly protecting the inhabitants from flooding, among others – Dziergowice, Lubieszowa, Bierawa, Kędzierzyn-Koźle, Krapkowice and Sławice, Żelazna and Brzeg, as well as many important facilities, including a hospital and a sewage treatment plant in Kędzierzyn-Koźle. It is worth noting, however, that the potential of the Racibórz Dolny reservoir is much greater – in October we used only 25 percent. its flood reserve. – said Krzysztof Woś, Deputy President of Polish Waters for Protection Against Floods and Droughts during the second in the current planning cycle conference on flood risk management in Poland.
Catalog of goals and objectives.
The main objectives of flood risk management are: to inhibit growth and reduce its level, and also to improve the management system. The the implementation of the first goal itself, i.e. to stop the increase in flood risk, requires as many as 11 types of measures in individual regions. From the protection and increase of retention on forest and arable land, through increasing retention in urbanized areas and increasing natural retention in river valleys, to the reconstruction of flood-damaged infrastructure and legislative actions regarding the desired conditions for shaping spatial development.
The reduction of the existing flood risk is influenced by a number of technical and non-technical measures. In the first group, the risk level is determined by dams and barrages, river regulation, embankments and dikes, as well as drainage and other safeguards. Among the non-technical activities, the most important are afforestation, proper land use, water resistance, forecasting and warning, preparation and evacuation, insurance and compensation for those affected by floods and also building public awareness and legal and financial instruments. The state administration plays a key role in the implementation of these plans – both in terms of crucial investments and coordination of all national and local activities assigned to individual water regions or river basin districts.
– In the updated FRMP, a total of 11 specific objectives and as many as 31 different types of activities that must be implemented in the fight against the flood risk have been distinguished. On the one hand, it gives an idea of how complicated the process is, and on the other, how comprehensive the approach is required – explained Vice President Woś. A detailed list of substantively grouped activities will be available on the website www.stoppowodzi.pl
Safety and loss minimisation
Since its inception, Polish Waters meet the requirements of the so-called The EU Floods Directive (Directive 2007/60 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2007), incorporated into Polish law in 2012 to prepare a number of planning documents regarding flood risk. The strategy recommended there is based on three pillars. The first is the removal of floods from people which includes recommending the construction of retention reservoirs and embankments along with activities of natural retention. The second is to move people away from floods through proper spatial planning to avoid construction, especially residential, in flood plains. The third pillar recommends learning how to live with a flood and manage it as effectively as possible, coping during and after. That includes construction of early warning and forecasting systems, broadly understood flood education, insurance, preparation of buildings for floods, etc. Social awareness is of great importance in reducing the risk and possible losses, it allows to carry out rescue operations more efficiently and to return to the state before the flood more effectively.
Update of flood hazard and flood risk maps
Updating Flood Risk Management Plans is the last element of the developed planning documents, after the Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (PFRA) (2018) and Flood Hazard Maps (FHM) and Flood Risk Maps (FRM) (2020). The plans, in addition to the description of objectives, a catalog of activities, a description of the method of determining priorities in flood risk management and the current list of authorities competent in its management, are being constantly verified and improved into database of activities. During II planning cycle, the flood hazard maps for approx. 7 thousand km of rivers were updated along with all flood risk maps for approx. 14.5 thousand km. rivers. In addition, new FHM and FRM were made for approx. 13.8 thousand. km of rivers. For sea flooding, the updates and new FHM and FRM covered approx. 1.2 thousand. km of coasts and coastal river estuaries. In total, the maps were developed for approx. 28 thousand. km of rivers, which is a huge knowledge of flood risk areas and an important tool in spatial planning.
Balance sheet for public consultation
The questionnaire addressed to over 4,000 entities was completed in June. It’s purpose was to collect information on already completed, ongoing and planned activities that have an impact on minimizing flood risk and reducing flood losses. The first months of the project were dedicated to updating the Plans methodology, which sets the direction of work and details the planned approach to further analyses. Problems were diagnosed, taking into account the spatial distribution of flood risk, and also the objectives of flood risk management from the 1st planning cycle were verified. Currently, underway work on analyzes to indicate recommended actions for the implementation in the next cycle. These activities will constitute a key element of the draft plans. Those updated draft plans from December 22, 2020 will be then subjected to six-monthly public consultations.