{"id":1369,"date":"2024-05-14T12:41:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-14T10:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bezpiecznawisla.pl\/2024\/05\/14\/14-years-after-the-flood-safe-vistula-ecologically-into-the-future-in-sandomierz\/"},"modified":"2024-05-14T12:41:00","modified_gmt":"2024-05-14T10:41:00","slug":"14-years-after-the-flood-safe-vistula-ecologically-into-the-future-in-sandomierz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bezpiecznawisla.pl\/en\/2024\/05\/14\/14-years-after-the-flood-safe-vistula-ecologically-into-the-future-in-sandomierz\/","title":{"rendered":"14 years after the flood: “Safe Vistula \u2013 Ecologically into the Future” in Sandomierz"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The results of analyses on flood risk and drought hazards in the Upper Vistula region, along with proposed solutions to identified problems, were presented on May 14 during the “Safe Vistula \u2013 Ecologically into the Future” program conference. The meeting took place in Sandomierz, a city severely affected by the 2010 flood and crucial to the implementation of the current project. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The new program is formally known as the “Retention Measures Program as Part of Flood Risk Management in the Upper Western Vistula and Upper Eastern Vistula Water Region between Krak\u00f3w and Zawichost.” Its goal is to enhance the safety of residents in the Vistula region, with particular emphasis on the Sandomierz Vistula, by mitigating flood risks while maintaining the highest ecological standards\u2014not only in hydrotechnical infrastructure but also in surrounding areas. From the outset, it has been developed in close cooperation between PGW Wody Polskie and experts in both technical and non-technical hydrological solutions, environmental protection, and representatives of local communities, including municipal authorities from flood-prone areas. <\/p>\n

Both at the inaugural conference in Krak\u00f3w and the current one, stakeholders from non-governmental organizations with a strong interest in green-blue hydrology also participated.<\/p>\n

Severe floods are a dramatic consequence of the warming climate. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Severe, sudden floods are now becoming more frequent and widespread, with reports from around the world documenting their unprecedented scale. Just in recent weeks, Dubai experienced a tropical-style storm, with rainfall in 12 hours matching the total that typically falls over an entire year. Brazil’s southern region, especially the state of Rio Grande do Sul, has been devastated by the heaviest rains in 80 years, resulting in floods and landslides that have claimed hundreds of lives. Afghanistan, too, faced similar devastation, with over 300 people dying from floods and landslides. While tropical rainfall has been studied for a long time, its increasing intensity and occurrence in areas that have never seen such events are direct consequences of rapid climate changes. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is not confined to distant regions but is also affecting Europe, including Poland. In addition to localized floods and inundations that occur several times a year, Poland has experienced catastrophic floods of unprecedented scale, such as those in 1997 and 2010. <\/p>\n

Time for flood prevention actions on the Upper Vistula<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>“Rarely is it emphasized that a flood is not only a powerful natural disaster. We must realize that it is a multifaceted phenomenon affecting our lives, from the economy to the sense of security of people living in flood-prone areas. The losses caused by the two largest floods at the turn of the century, amounting to tens of billions of zlotys, force us to take adequate measures to minimize similar threats.” <\/em>said Deputy Minister Przemys\u0142aw Koperski. “To a large extent, through spectacular hydrological investments such as the Racib\u00f3rz Dolny reservoir, the comprehensive reconstruction of the so-called Wroc\u0142aw water junction, and many non-technical initiatives, we have addressed this challenge in the Oder River basin. Now it’s time for equally effective solutions in the upper section of the Vistula River. After the implementation of the 2021 “Program of non-technical and retention actions as part of flood risk management in the Ma\u0142a Wis\u0142a and Upper Vistula water regions (catchment above Krak\u00f3w), including flood protection for the city of Krak\u00f3w,” i.e. task 5.7.1, it is now time to propose a retention action program that forms part of flood risk management in the Upper Western Vistula and Upper Eastern Vistula water regions between Krak\u00f3w and Zawichost.” <\/em> said Wojciech Kozak, Director of the Regional Water Management Authority in Krak\u00f3w.<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\t\n