The Kłodzko Valley, in the Dolnośląskie region of south-western Poland, is regularly hit by severe flooding. The EU-funded Kłodzko Dale Flood Risk Management project is helping to improve flood defences in the area, with a particular focus on the city of Kłodzko itself.
- 09 May 2018
Construction of four dry detention basins with a combined capacity of 16.7 million m³ is the main element of the project. They will retain water and reduce flows across the valley, thereby mitigating risks from flooding.
The basins are: Boboszów on the Nysa Kłodzka river, with a retention capacity of 1.4 million m³; Roztoki Bystrzyckie on the Goworówka river, with a capacity of 2.7 million m³; Szalejów Górny on the Dusznicka river, of which the capacity is 10.67 million m³; and Krosnowice on the Gorna and Dolna Duna rivers, which has a capacity of 1.9 million m³.
Natural beauty, natural hazards
Located within the basin of the River Odra, the Kłodzko Valley contains many features of historical and cultural significance, as well as being an area of outstanding natural beauty. The Stołowe Mountains National Park, with its spruce trees and notable rock formations, is located in the region and the valley is very popular with tourists, receiving over 300 000 visitors a year.
However, the topography of the Kłodzko Valley puts it at particular risk of flash floods. The surrounding mountains are regularly hit by high-intensity rainfall and the Nysa-Kłodzka river, a left tributary of the Odra, has a long history of frequent flooding, which occurs every five to eight years on average.
The 1997 floods were the most severe the valley has experienced, with the previous highest water level being exceeded by 70 centimetres. Further serious floods occurred in 2006 and 2009, devastating the city of Kłodzko and the surrounding area.
Existing water management structures do not provide adequate protection for the local population or for economic assets. Additional retention capacity is therefore required in order to reduce the levels of risk.
Reducing levels of risk
The project forms part of the River Odra Flood Risk Management Plan, which was adopted in 2016 in line with the EU’s Flood Risk Management Directive, which entered into force in November 2007. The Directive requires Member States to assess whether watercourses and coastlines are at risk from flooding, map the extent of the risk, including in terms of people and assets, and take risk-reduction measures.
Scheduled for completion in 2021, the project has a total budget of more than EUR 147 million, of which the EU’s Cohesion Fund is providing approximately EUR 73 million. By contributing to lowering the risk of damage caused by flood events, it will increase the potential for business development in the area and have a positive impact on socio-economic well-being, as well as encouraging investment in improvements to residential buildings that have been damaged by floods.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Klodzko Dale Flood Risk Management” is EUR 147 376 384, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 72 708 352 through the “Infrastructure and Environment” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period.