10th Junior Eco – Expert Project
Final report - Group 3
Project objectives:
– to assess the impact of human activity on the frequency and extent of floods in
partner countries
– to measure the current flows of the monitored streams
– to compare flood control measures in the CR and in the partner countries
Day one – Students within the frameweork of the project attended a lecture on this topic:
“Flood control measures in the CR and projected flood control measures in the territory of
Veselí n.L.“ The lecturers were: Ing. Václav Matějů, the deputy mayor of Veselí, and Ing. Jiří
Novák, a member of the Flood control measure department for Veselí and Lužnicí. Within the
lecture, the students learnt about the system of flood control in the CR, legislation of both the
CR and the EU, and projected flood control measures in Veselí nad Lužnicí. After the lecture,
they visited flood areas of the town and places, where flood control measures are projected.
Day two – the students learnt how to work with a hydrometric propeller, how to measure
and read the current flow in the stream which were monitored.
Day three – students visited small-scale hydro-powerplant and in the afternoon they
discussed and suggested different ways of how to solve flood problems. They also prepared
the presentation.
Topic of the discussion: Flood control measures in my country – comparing
particular flood control strategies
While exchanging ideas, students assessed the impact of human activity on frequency
and extent of floods in partner countries. They discussed the condition of the river beds, and
its impact on the environment. They compared flood control strategies and flood control
measures in particular countries. They assessed the impact of built-up areas on water run-off
and on the environment.
Discussion conclusion:
Hungary
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In Hungary, the Tisza is becoming a major challenge for experts. In 1970, the river was
in flood (909 cm at Szolnok). Since 1998, extreme floods have annually occurred and have
repeatedly led to breaches of dikes. However, the floods have different reasons.
Thus, high waters in the Middle Tisza can grow particularly dangerous, when several
floods from the Northern Tisza reach this river section one after the other. One such event
occurred in spring 1999, when a record level (974 cm) was reached at Szolnok (river
kilometre 334.6) compared to the former reference level of 961 cm.
Then came the year of 2000 and broke all previous records. Szolnok: wide flood with a
maximum of 1,041 cm (which means a plus of 132 cm in only two years and a plus of 80 cm
compared to the reference level).
The most critical section in general is the Middle Tisza. There, the maximum level rose
by 46 to 88 cm per year. The frequency of floods was also investigated.
As for the conclusion, it has to be pointed out, that in the past 30 years both the flood
frequency and the flood levels have constantly risen in the Middle Tisza.
The dyke system at the Upper Tisza is not sufficient itself; the programmes of dyke
development must be optimalized. The dyke development programmes are carried out in
order to reduce the number and probability of dykes bursting. The realisation of joint research
programmes and impact studies will be a core tool for the evaluation of factors which increase
the flood level. The modified sections of the river become safer, which is to be taken into
consideration.
Upon the further planning there is a flood-related emergency storage lake programme
on both the Ukrainian and Hungarian sides of the river.
Austria
Total investments count up to € 420.3 million, € 76.8 million of which are planned for
completing the flood protection programme of the Austrian capital. Thanks to the persistent
flood control efforts being undertaken since the 1970s (New Danube flood bypass canal),
Vienna was largely spared of the horrendous floods of August 2002. The flood then reached a
flow rate of 10,000 m3/sec, falling marginally below the threshold value for which the flood
protection installations downstream of the Freudenau power plant had been designed. The
suggested improvement measures for the left riverbank therefore include upgrading and
elevating the 3.4-km-long enclosure dam around the Danube port at Lobau. This project,
which was already initiated in winter 2006 and meets highly stringent ecological criteria, shall
be concluded by 2008. The installation of (at least) two additional weirs will, moreover,
increase the water flow into the old river arms of the Lower Lobau Area. The right Danube
embankment will see ample restorations including the elevation of the Danube Canal
backwater dam and the Albern main dam. Roughly € 65 million in funds will flow into this
project as well as into accompanying measures.
Poland
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Poland is a country that has to face a very high and at the same time very diverse flood
hazard. Floods are most commonly caused by concentrated rains – the 2001 flood in Gdańsk
being the result of such rainfall or long-lasting rains over large areas (flood 1997 on the Odra
River). Here we can mention the flood on the Rhine River in 1993, on the Rhine and Moselle
in 1995, on the Oder and upper Vistula in 1997, on the Yangtze in 1998, on the upper Vistula
and in the city of Gdańsk in 2001, on Elbe in 2003, the extraordinary flooding of New Orleans
in 2005, and the flood along the Danube in the spring of 2006.
Floods may also be caused by ice related phenomena, such as frazil-ice jams, which
occur in the autumn-winter period, and ice jams, which occur in the springtime when the ice
cover on rivers breaks up and flows downstream. An ice jam at the mouth of Vistula River in
1829 resulted in flooding of the city of Gdańsk up to the first-storey level. In 1844, another
ice jam on the Gdańska Vistula led to the creation of a new mouth to the sea - the Śmiała
Vistula (Bold Vistula). To reduce the threat of flooding in the Gdańsk region and the Vistula
Delta, an artificial channel of the Vistula called the Przekop was constructed in 1895, a
solution that proved to be very effective.
Previous main channel of the Vistula River was closed by navigation lock in Przegalina
and at present there is no river flow. Therefore this river section is now called Martwa
Vistula, which means Dead Vistula.
After the devastating 1997 flood on the Odra and Upper Vistula, Poland began
reinforcing its means of hydro-meteorological protection. This consists of automatic water
level gauges and meteorological monitoring stations, plus a system of meteorological radar
devices providing early warning of oncoming clouds, fronts, storms and precipitation. These
are maintained by the State Hydrological-Meteorological Service, operated by the Institute of
Meteorology and Water Management in Warsaw. Local flood warning systems and crisis
reaction centres were established in numerous floodprone areas, with all these elements being
coordinated by the National or Provincial Rescue and Protection Centres.
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In the years of 1998 – 2004, floods killed 700 people and additional 500,000 more
people had to leave their houses.
According to the European Commision, economic losses reached up to 25 million
Euros
The most damaged areas were watersheds of the Danube River, the Alps area, and
lower parts of Europe, such as Hungary, Serbia, Romania.
According to the research work, it is obvious that floods may repeat in the interval of
six years, they may occur more often, and they may be more severe.
The impact of man:
Man and his activity can not affect the occurence of floods, because they were here as
well as they are without regard to his existence. In this context, there are often issues discused
such as: poor hydroeconomical planning, built-up, extinction of natural ecosystems and other
factors, that maintain the stability of landscape. We can agree about the importance of such
discussions, still they discuss just the most visible factors. However, human activity and its
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mainly negative effect is a global issue too. That is why – in the context of floods – people
discuss the impact of global warming and climatic change on frequency and intensity of
floods. It is necessary to cooperate on the international level, not only within Europe, but also
on the global level.
Reccommendations, suggested by students:
After the introduction of participating countries and following discussion, students made
this conclusion: flood control measures differ from location to location, but they follow the
same crucial principles.
Their most important suggestions are:
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Improving international cooperation between countries (e.g.Hungary –
Ukraine, the CR – Austria, the CR – Poland) because water is an element
which does not know borders. Projecting flood control measures would be
inefficient, that is why the European Union implements so called Flood
Directive 2007/06/EC.
Incresing water retaining capacity of the landscape by using landscape
planning and technical means
Recovering of river beds to their original places
Recovery of riverine growths of plants/ trees
Wetland restoration
Restoration of alluvial forest
Routing of overflowing areas in the territorial planning maps
Systems of dry lakes in the upper course of the streams – these may be used as
pastures
Systems of dry polders along the streams
Dry channels around the most valuable area
Restriction of building in the flood areas
Increasing the capacity and reconstitution of dykes
Building mobile and stable dykes
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