How are we preparing for potential worst-case scenarios? In the 27 years since the so-called flood of the millennium, we have spent 22 billion złoty on flood protection systems. Is this enough to be certain that the lesson has been learned?
Before the predicted weekend downpours, memories from 1997 come back, when Poland was hit by the so-called flood of the millennium.
– 30 years ago, of course, in the Odra river basin we did not have this powerful tool, which is the Racibórz Dolny reservoir, and this huge opportunity that its use creates in flood protection – says Linda Hofman from the State Water Management Authority “Polish Waters” in Gliwice.
The construction of this dry flood reservoir was completed in 2022. It took nine years, cost two billion złoty, and required the displacement of two villages. This is not the only investment of this type.
– In Lower Silesia, there are now 22 such reservoirs that are able to retain water and absorb this flood wave. There are approximately 120 such reservoirs in the whole of Poland – informs Paulina Pierzchała from the State Water Management “Polish Waters” in Gliwice.
Over the last 27 years, we have spent over PLN 22 billion on flood protection installations. Among other things, a modern IT system has been created that collects weather and hydrological data.
Something that was missing 27 years ago
Special warehouses have been built in threatened areas, for example in Krakow. – In terms of storage resources and the warehouse itself, we have one of the best in Poland. This is something that was put into use two years ago. There are four halls here – says Adam Cebula from the Krakow City Office.
There are boats, pumps, bags and thousands of tons of sand in the warehouses. It is the sandbags that remain the main building block of flood barriers.
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Instead of sandbags, special plastic elements can be used. – One such element replaces 40 to 50 sandbags. They are very quick to assemble and disassemble due to their low weight – says Paulina Dłużniewska-Mlaś from Odpowiedzipowodzi.pl.
There is something else that was missing 27 years ago. – We are in constant contact with the Czech side, something that was completely non-existent in '97. We were surprised then that we suddenly received very large amounts of water – recalls Jarosław Garbacz from the Regional Water Management Board in Wrocław.
There is no question of surprise now
– The reservoir could swallow the entire flood wave that passed through here in 1997 during the great flood – informs Andrzej Siudy, manager of the Goczałkowice reservoir of the Upper Silesian Water Supply Company.
The most at risk are the towns above the large flood reservoirs. Water is hard to manage when drought and flood are separated by just a few days.
– We should invest more in what is modern, more sustainable, going in the direction of nature and reversing the common concreting of riverbeds – says Dr. Włodzimierz Golus, hydrologist from the Water Protection Monitoring Center of the University of Gdańsk.
Expensive hydraulic structures can reduce the effects of flooding, but even they cannot withstand really large amounts of water.
Main image source: Krzysztof Cesarz/PAP