PROJECT INFORMATION DOCUMENT (PID)
CONCEPT STAGE
Project Name
Region
Sector
Project ID
Borrower(s)
Implementing Agency
Environment Category
Safeguard Classification
Date PID Prepared
Estimated Date of
Appraisal Authorization
Estimated Date of Board
Approval
Report No.: AB871
ODRA RIVER BASIN FLOOD PROTECTION
EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA
Flood protection (80%);General water, sanitation and flood
protection sector (20%)
P086768
POLAND
[X] A [ ] B [ ] C [ ] FI [ ] TBD (to be determined)
[X] S1 [ ] S2 [ ] S3 [ ] SF [ ] TBD (to be determined)
April 21, 2004
October 5, 2004
May 31, 2005
1. Key development issues and rationale for Bank involvement
Occurrence of large floods in the Odra River and its tributaries are frequent. In the 19 th century, four
major floods were recorded in the years 1813, 1829, 1854 and 1880, while in the 20 th century, twelve
large floods were recorded, of which the July 1997 flood was by far the largest. The 1997 flood was
caused by extremely heavy rain, with some meteorological stations recording as much as 400 mm over a
four day period. The total July 1997 rainfall was four times that of the long term average. As a result, an
area of 650 km2 was inundated in the three voivodships of Slaski (Upper Silesia), Opolskie and
Dolnoslaskie (Lower Silesia) damaging 37,000 buildings, 866 bridges and over 2,000 km of roads. An
estimated 130 km of dikes were completely destroyed. The estimated damages in these three voivodships
due to the 1997 flood were about PLN 8.5 billion. It caused the loss of 54 lives; flooding of some
700,000 households, while about 110,000 people had to be evacuated. The damages, comprising the costs
of rescue, stress, loss of public and private property and production, and etc., were considerable.
The flood of July 1997 exposed the weakness of the present flood protection system in the Odra River
Basin (ORB) which is about 100 years old, developed after the 1903 floods. The protection system could
not withstand the flood, and as a result major urban centers were flooded for extended periods.
Similarly, the flood forecasting, monitoring, and warning systems performed poorly. The monitoring
systems were damaged early, and the communication systems failed leaving uncoordinated operations of
hydraulic structures.
The Government’s response to flood recovery, however, was swift. The international community
provided support, and the Bank led a major effort for providing assistance in flood damage recovery. The
Emergency Flood Recovery Project (EFRP, US$500 million) with a Bank loan of US$200 cofinanced by
EIB and other donors was focused to rehabilitate the damaged municipal and rural infrastructure. The
Bank loan also provided for upgrading the flood forecasting, monitoring and warning system which is
now one of the most modern systems in the world, and for improving flood management at the local
level. While Poland has an excellent flood forecasting system, the flood protection system is still weak
and needs additional investments to bring it to the required standards in order to eliminate loss of life and
damage to property due to recurrent floods.
Poland together with Germany, the Czech Republic and the EU formed the Odra River Commission under
which Poland prepared the Odra 2006 Program after the 1997 floods. The focus of the Odra 2006
Program that was approved by the Polish Parliament under an Act of July 6, 2001, is modernization of
the Odra River system to provide flood protection. Under the program, a number of localized flood
protection works for many cities in the basin have been implemented. The project would support
implementation of the two main elements of Odra 2006 Program construction of a dry polder at Raciborz
and modernization of the Wroclaw Floodway System (WFS). Moreover, the EU Cohesion Fund for
Poland has also foreseen funds for flood protection in the ORB.
The last CAS for Poland was discussed by the Board on December 10, 2002. The main focus of the
CAS is continued support for growth and macro-stabilization by improving the effectiveness of
Government expenditures and programs, and enhancing private sector -led growth and employment
creation. The Bank’s potential role in the CAS is investments for growth and poverty reduction,
and also the role that the Government would like the Bank to play in coordinating and
consolidating the support of other partners. Though not explicitly listed in the CAS, the project fits
extremely well in the CAS objectives and the envisaged Bank role.
As mentioned above, damages caused by floods in the ORB, certainly by large floods of the
magnitude of 1997 flood, impose a huge cost for the Polish economy, and result in substantial fiscal
burden to the country. The proposed Odra River Basin Flood Protection Project (ORFPP) is important
in improving the macroeconomic situation of the country and providing necessary protection to
eliminate the loss of life and minimize damages to property, thus providing a safe environment for
continued economic growth. The project would be included in the upcoming CAS update planned
for FY05.
After the 1997 floods, the Bank’s involvement in this field has been substantial. In design and
implementation of EFRP, the Bank has provided leadership and technical expertise in flood damage
recovery, modernization of flood forecasting and warning system as well as preparation of the proposed
project. The Bank has made substantial contribution in improving the design of the proposed project, such
as combing the two interventions, construction of Raciborz dry polder and WFS, optimizing the operation
of all flood infrastructure in the basin thus providing the best solution for flood protection in the ORB.
The Government recognizes the Bank’s continued role in the flood sector and particularly in this project.
Bank involvement is crucial for donor coordination and for mobilizing EU Cohesion funds, as well as
ensuring proper implementation of the project which is central to the Odra 2006 Program.
2. Proposed objective(s)
The main development objective of the project is to protect the population in the ORB against loss of life
and damage to property caused by severe flooding. This would be achieved by (i) reducing the extreme
flood peaks through storage in a dry polder on the Odra River just upstream of Raciborz; and (ii) by
increasing the flood carrying capacity of the Odra River channels through and around Wroclaw city. The
project would protect more than 2.5 million people against flooding in several cities along the river.
The key performance indicators for ORFPP are to reduce the inundated areas for various flood return
periods (such as 10 years, 20 years, 50 years) and to protect major cities and main urban population
centers from floods at the magnitude of 1997 flood; and to improved institutional capacity in flood
management in the basin.
3. Preliminary description
The project intends to improve flood control and river management in the Odra River basin between the
Czech border and Brzeg Dolny. The main components of the project include: (i)development of a dry
polder along the upper Odra River, near Racibórz; (ii) improvement of the existing flood protection
structures near and in the city of Wrocław, including reconstruction of embankments in the floodplains
and overflow polders, improvement of the Odra-Widawa flood diversion channel, and an increase in the
carrying capacity of the Widawa channel; (iii) institutional capacity building in areas of flood
management and project implementation and impact monitoring and evaluation; and (iv) support in
project management.
Component A: Construction of Raciborz Dry Polder ( EURO € 230.4 million)
A dry polder would be created on the Odra River near the town of Raciborz to store flood water. Total
capacity of the reservoir would be about 185 Mm3. Main benefits from this reservoir will be (i) a
reduction in the Odra peak flows downstream of the reservoir, so that the effectiveness of the existing
flood defense system will be greatly improved; and (ii) a delay in the timing of the flood peaks at the
confluence of the Odra with the Nysa Klodzka, a major tributary of the Odra river below between
Raciborz and Wroclaw so that the adverse combination of the two floods that was so damaging in 1997
will become unlikely in the future. These two phenomena, in combination, will result in a considerable
reduction in the frequency and severity of future floods.
Component B: Modernization WFS ( € 249.7 Million).
Currently, Wroclaw is subject to inundation with floods greater than 2,200 m³/s, while flows during the
1997 flood were 3,640 m³/s. The Raciborz dry polder would offer partial protection to the city. Therefore,
full protection to the Wroclaw city is provided, by modernizing and upgrading the protection system
along the Odra channels passing through the city. These works include: (i) improvements to Odra River
dikes and embankments; (ii) improvements to the Odra River channels designed to increase the hydraulic
capacity of the Odra; and (iii) transfer of part of the flood flows to Widawa river valley which then joins
again to Odra River below the Wroclaw city where Odra river has adequate capacity.
Component C: Institutional Development, Improving Flood Management, Monitoring and
Evaluation, and Supervision of the EMP& RAP (€ 14.5 million).
The component would consist of the following sub-components: (i) institutional strengthening for
improved flood management in the Odra River basin; (ii) continued support to improve the flood
forecasting system, to ensure that the system of hydro-meteorological forecasting, currently being
installed would remain operational; and (iii) monitoring and evaluation of the project impacts, including
the implementation and monitoring of the environmental management plan, and the resettlement action
plan (RAP).
Component D: Project Management, Technical Assistance and Training (€ 5.4 million)
This component would support the Government in implementing the project, including: (a) support for
the operation of the PCU and implementing agencies, and financing of overall project management, as
well as technical assistance in such areas as detailed design, contract administration and construction
supervision, procurement, and financial management; and (b) a modest institutional strengthening
program, including technical assistance and training, would be included in the project.
4. Safeguard policies that might apply
The present project is rated as Category “A” under OP4.01 and triggers six (6) safeguard policies,
including environment assessment, involuntary resettlement, natural habitats, safety of dams, cultural
property and projects on international waterways, for which mitigation measures will be undertaken as a
part of the Environmental Assessment (EA) and the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) being prepared by
the Government.
Environmental Assessment (OP/BP 4.01) Implementation of project activities on the ORB would
require assessment and analysis of its impact on the environment, and therefore an Environmental
Assessment (EA) Report that will comply with all Bank’s environmental Safeguard policies, including
OP 4.01 will be prepared.
Natural Habitats (OP/BP 4.04) As there are some critical natural habitats of national significance in the
project area, OP4.04 is triggered. The polder area in Racibórz as well as some of the downstream
floodplains include natural habitats that may be proposed as protected areas in the European Union’s
Natura-2000 network. The exact locations of these areas will be known when Poland’s application is
submitted to the EU on May 1, 2004. The EMP will provide an outline of a plan to manage the potential
risks to these habitats and the necessary safeguards during construction and - where needed – in the
overall water management plan for the project area.
Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12) Construction of a 2600 ha polder, to be used as an emergency
flood water storage would risk occasional flooding of the inhabitants, largely concentrated in two villages
(240 families). However, the Polish Government considers this risk unacceptable and therefore, the
inhabitants are to be moved. and the land/property within the polder be acquired by the State. The task
team is in the process of reaching an agreement with the government regarding a course of action on the
resettlement process and preparation of a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP), consistent with the provisions
of OP 4.12 for all affected people in Racibórz. The RAP for Racibórz would be prepared and submitted
to the Bank prior to the Appraisal of the project. The land acquisition procedures used in the Raciborz
RAP will be applied for all other project interventions (where resettlement is limited to land acquisition).
The details of these land acquisition procedures will be prepared by the government and submitted to the
Bank for review during project implementation and prior to awarding contracts for construction.
Forests (OP/BP 4.36) Under the project, a few forests and tree stands are part of a “protected natural
habitat”, and these are covered under the OP4.04 listed above.
Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37) Since a major activity under the project is creation of a dry polder for the
purpose of flood protection, the Safety of Dams safeguard is triggered. An independent Panel of Experts
(IPOE) will be established to review project detailed designs and oversee preparation and implementation
of the dam safety aspect in such a way that its recommendations will be incorporated into the EA Report.
Cultural Property (draft OP/BP4.11 – OPN 11.03) A single significant historical rampart in the WFS
is to be protected by diversion of the relevant embankment. Chance find procedures during construction
activities will be carried out according to Polish laws, which are acceptable to the Bank..
Projects on International Waterways (OP/BP/GP 7.50) This project involves works in an international
waterway, and to conform with Bank policy a notification of the proposed project will be issued to the
riparian states.
5. Tentative financing
Source:
BORROWER
INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND
DEVELOPMENT
EC: EUROPEAN COMMISSION
(€ m)
94
106
Total
6. Contact point
Contact: Masood Ahmad
Title: Lead Water Resources Specialist
Tel: (202) 458-2013
Fax:
Email: Mahmad2@worldbank.org
100
500