LIFE11 ENV/SK/001019
Hydro-climate recovery - Revitalisation of the climate in dried-out communities in Eastern Slovakia via hydro-climate recovery
1 431 535,00 €
690 267,00 €
2011
http://www.ludiaavoda.sk
Municipalities in Slovakia’s Ondávka region (including Baškovce, Černina, Gruzovce, Hrubov, Ohradzeny, Slovenská Volová, Sopkovce and Turcovce) have all been adversely affected by flooding in the past. Yet little has been done to address the problem at its source. Dams have been used to contain water flows but these can have negative socio-economic, cultural and environmental impacts. Alternative and more natural methods of flood control exist that could be applied to tackle the increasing threat of flooding. Solutions that help retain rainwater on land can help to gradually renew an area’s water retention capacity. They can also help solve water management challenges associated with ‘soil sealing’ and the loss of soil resources as a result of its covering by housing, roads or other construction work.
The objective of the Hydro-climate recovery project was to establish environmentally sustainable hydrological conditions in municipalities in the Ondávka region of Slovakia via a coordinated and integrated programme of interventions, such as the re-cultivation of logging roads and other connecting paths, construction of flow control barriers, water retention ponds and rainwater gardens, and other measures for the prevention of excess rainwater run-off from the land. The aim was for this integrated approach to have numerous positive effects, including the prevention of flooding, drought and erosion, and mitigation of the negative effects of climate change. The project aimed to demonstrate new construction methods for retaining rainwater where it falls, so that it has the chance to fill groundwater sources, feed vegetation, and evaporate to revitalise local hydrological cycles and help maintain a stable climate.
In spite of the early termination of the project, requested by the beneficiary in May 2015, the Hydro-climate recovery project demonstrated innovative locally-owned and locally-implemented measures for increasing the water retention capacity of the landscape, through integrated programmes of interventions in a number of municipalities in the Ondávka region of Slovakia, namely Baškovce, Černina, Gruzovce, Hrubov, Ohradzeny, Slovenská Volová, Sopkovce and Turcovce. The measures completed before the early termination of the project prevented floods and related damages during heavy rains in 2013 and 2014; supported EU climate change policy; and created jobs. In total, the project constructed 1 148 flow control barriers and 7 rainwater gardens, which had a big flood prevention effect during torrential rains, with none of the flooding in the target communes after torrential rains seen previously. A high level of ownership of this water management infrastructure was noted among the engaged municipalities. The project also re-cultivated 1 km of logging roads, which had a significant demonstration effect during torrential rains. The planned fish ponds were cancelled along with other activities due to financial constraints as a result of the loss of co-financing. The project actions resulted in visible environmental and social benefits in the region, including beneficial effects on the ability of local landscapes to retain water. The project team estimated that the water retention measures led to an approximate annual growth of water in small water cycles of around 140 000 m3. However, long-term monitoring is needed for assessing other environmental effects, such as vegetation and fauna diversity, heat emissions, and groundwater. Indirect benefits of the project’s water retention measures include avoidance of damage caused by floods, compared to previous years. The project also engaged the target communities (via the Regional Association Ondávka as an associated beneficiary), which helped to increase coherence and cooperation in the region. Other communities in Slovakia indicated their interest in adopting similar approaches. Importantly, the project trained 114 local long-term unemployed people, who learned new skills via training sessions, and gave them seasonal work constructing the water retention infrastructure (over 12 months in total). The project therefore played an important social role, by helping to return unemployed people to the job market in the target communities. The project raised awareness concerning its water management actions and disseminated its findings via a website and a documentary film. Moreover, the project team conducted an engineering study on water retention measures that will enable the project’s approach to be replicated in other locations, and to generate interest among international experts. In policy terms, the LIFE project’s implemented measures are referenced in the Strategy on Adaptation of the Slovak Republic to the Negative Impacts of the Climate Change, which was prepared in March 2014 by the Slovak Ministry of the Environment. The project also helps to implement EU policy relating to climate change adaptation, along with the assessment and management of flood risk.
Risk management ~ Natural risks (Flood - Forest fire - Landslide) / Water ~ Water resources protection /
flood protection / integrated management / rain water / water resources management /
31302921
Občianske združenie MVO Ľudia a voda
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