PL
On May 27, one topic dominated in Cracow: how to effectively counteract the effects of drought in our country. Experts discussed the needs and achievements in this area, and students from fields related to water management presented their unconventional ideas. This was the first meeting of this type integrating them around the topic of combating drought. The 2nd “Stop Drought! Start Retention!” Conference, at the University of Agriculture in Cracow, was attended by nearly 200 people. The event was broadcast online on YouTube by Polish Waters.
Joanna Kopczyńska, president of Polish Waters, recalled that over 100 years ago, it was in Galicia that a huge drought started the first, great emigration from these areas and the topic of the conference “Stop Drought! Start Retention!” fits perfectly into this historical condition. She warned that the deepening drought has already changed our lives a lot and will change them even more in the future. “A few dozen years ago, the snow cover in Poland lasted for about three months, it melted slowly, and our agriculture was tuned to this. When there was the greatest demand for water in April, it was simply there. This year, we have signals that in this month, when farmers left for work, dust was rising in the fields,” she said.
An Appeal for a Chain of Good, Water-related Deeds
President Kopczyńska encouraged the participants of the event to share their expert knowledge more widely, beyond academic discussions. “We must share our knowledge with all our friends and other assemblies. Let me remind you that as many as one million gardeners retain water in cities. It is also enough to collect rainwater from the roof, and the scale effect will result in very large benefits for the country,” she argued. She noted that there are institutions established for water management, such as Polish Waters, but without the participation of everyone, including local government units, communes, villages, and village councils, it will not be possible to effectively improve the situation. “Everyone can do something to improve water management. This chain of all good, water-related deeds will help us cope with the drought,” she emphasized.
We Need to Double the Retention of Rainwater
The Rector of the University of Agriculture in Cracow, Prof. Dr. Hab. Eng. Sylwester Tabor, drew attention to the problems in agriculture and forestry related to drought. “The United States Department of Homeland Security estimated the losses due to drought in southern Europe (the number of days with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius exceeded 15) at 50-70 million tons less of grain. If we were to calculate this for every Polish citizen, it would be almost 2 tons (!) less available. And it is not just about people. After all, there are also farm animals and those living in the natural environment.” He reminded that our water resources amount to approx. 1.5 m3 per capita (only the resources of the Czech Republic, Cyprus and Malta are comparable), while the average in Europe is approx. 5 thousand m3. “We retain approx. 7.5% of the average annual runoff, and if we wanted to have significantly improved safety, we should retain twice as much, approx. 15%,” he said.
Counteracting the Effects of Drought Through the Eyes of Experts
In the expert part, Adrian Kołczewiak, deputy director of the Department of Flood and Drought Protection in Polish Waters, spoke about the importance of the Drought Effects Counteracting Plan in the protection of water resources. Dariusz Młyński, professor at the University of Agriculture in Cracow, spoke about the importance of retention in the agricultural landscape. In turn, Łukasz Pawlik, director of the Municipal Greenery Board in Cracow, discussed drought counteracting strategies in cities, including specific examples of using the potential of the Vistula and its tributaries in the capital of Lesser Poland. Karolina Paulewicz-Bazała from the Environmental Project Coordination Center in the State Forests spoke about the problems of counteracting the effects of drought in the forest and its impact on the forest environment. In the next lecture, Artur Magnuszewski, professor at the University of Warsaw, presented definitional problems regarding water resources.
Time for creative Ideas from Students!
When experts discussed natural retention, 40 students from all over the country had to develop Case Studies during workshops on counteracting the effects of drought in agriculture, the city, and the forest. Prof. Andrzej Wałęga from the University of Agriculture, who supervised the group of students during the workshops, as well as experts and scientists, were positively surprised by the great work and creativity of the youth. They emphasized the multi-faceted approach, searching not only for new interesting solutions, but also for improving and modernizing the current ones. Prof. Artur Magnuszewski from the University of Warsaw couldn’t imagine only one thing… what a beaver enclosure might look like, which appeared as a proposed action among the ditch gates, the restoration of a wetland, and the construction of an educational footbridge in the project concerning the Lutówka forest district.
Natural Retention as a Blow to Drought in the City
As part of the search for solutions to drought in the city, students proposed an interesting project for an undeveloped plot of land in Augustów, designated for revitalization. They developed a plan to demolish the building and create a park with native species, with naturalistic objective to preserve biodiversity. The second proposal was to use the skeleton of the remaining building to create vertical gardens, which are to contribute to improving the microclimate and water retention in the urban space.
Another place for analyzing drought prevention in the city was Victory Square in the center of Słupsk, right next to the City Hall. Here, thanks to the blue-green parking lot and proposed retention and hydrophyte reservoirs, tree planting, changing the surface to a more permeable one, and a shelter with a green roof and photovoltaic panels – residents would benefit from a reduction in the heat island effect, increased water retention and the recreational attractiveness of the area.
And… on a Farm
Drought prevention measures in agriculture were considered using the example of a farm in the Krasne commune with an area of approx. 200 ha. The youth indicated the reconstruction or modernization of the sluice gate, three-field crop rotation, retention tank, hydrogels, introduction of plants modified for resistance to water stress, and organic fertilization. And the effects? Increased retention and yield, improved biodiversity, reduced pesticides, improved landscape and tourist values, reduced soil erosion.
In all projects, students indicated the duration of each of them, sources of financing, and the need for promotional campaigns. The effects of the students’ work are available in the EDUCATION tab.
The workshops were also attended by the ambassador of the “Stop Drought! Start Retention!” campaign, actor Mateusz Banasiuk, who talked to students, asked about solutions, and expanded his knowledge on counteracting the effects of drought.
The meeting in Cracow was the second nationwide “Stop Drought! Start Retention!” conference. Work on updating the Drought Effects Counteracting Plan will last 3 years. Next year, the draft document will be subject to public consultations. The Drought Effects Counteracting Plan is created based on the guidelines of the EU Water Framework Directive and the provisions of national law – the Water Law Act. The first DECP was developed for the years 2021-2027 and, in accordance with the Act, is subject to update at least once every six years. The completion of work on the project is planned for 2027, and the adoption of the uDECP, by way of a regulation of the minister responsible for water management, is to take place at the turn of 2027 and 2028.
The full video report and materials from the conference are published here.
The project “Review and update of the Drought Effects Counteracting Plan” was co-financed from the European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate, Environment for the years 2021-2027.
