Drought, along with flood, is one of the most severe natural phenomena impacting the society, environment and economy. To ensure there is no good quality water shortage in the future, we have to counteract the effects of drought now. The Drought Effects Counteracting Plan (DECP) is currently under development. This is the first planning document of national rank. Its development stems from the provisions of the EU directives and guidelines, as well as national law regulations (Art. 184 of the Water Law Act). The Drought Effects Counteracting Plan will have the rank of an ordinance of the Minister competent for water management.
The task schedule for the DECP preparation is presented on the following chart
Project aim
DECP is developed for a period of 6 years (2021–2027). The main goal is already contained in the name of the Plan itself, as counteracting the effects of drought. The main goal of the DPP is clarified by four specific objectives:
- effective water resources management to increase available water resources,
- increasing water retention (storage),
- drought education and coordination of drought related activities,
- creation of implementation and funding mechanisms for actions counteracting drought effects.
Through the DECP, we will be able to answer the following questions:
- Where and how much water do we have available for use? – analysis of the possibilities for increasing available water resources;
- What investment actions aiming at increasing the water resources or enabling their utilization are proposed for implementation? – proposals for construction or reconstruction of water facilities;
- What other actions increasing water retention capacities during drought periods (technical and non-technical) are proposed for implementation? – proposals of necessary changes in terms of water resources utilization and changes to natural and artificial retention;
- What are the specific directions, actions and solutions in the field of counteracting and limiting drought effects? – catalogue of actions aiming at counteracting drought effects.
The most important element of DECP is the catalogue of actions containing specific, measurable solutions to be introduced in order to limit drought effects. The catalogue has an operational dimension relative to the remaining elements, which have been formulated as analysis or proposal. Through this set of optimum actions, detailed objectives of DECP are implemented, and thus the main objective.
It is necessary to emphasize that DECP is not an investment plan, as it only showcases construction, reconstruction and renovation plans of water facilities, which have been included in other planning documents in the field of water management. DECP complies with the environmental objectives in terms of good water status, specified in the Water Framework Directive.
Following arrangements with voivods and ministers, the DECP project is subject to nationwide, six-month public consultation .
The diagram below illustrates the process of DECP creation in connection with the remaining Drought stop! project tasks.
Physical effect
The physical effect of the project will include updated methodology of implementation plans to counteract the effects of drought and the plans to counteract the effects of drought in river basin districts which will be created on the basis of updated methodology. The plans will contain:
1. An analysis of the possibilities to increase exploitable water resources,
2. Proposals of the construction or conversion of water installations,
3. Proposals of necessary amendments in terms of the use of water resources and the changes of natural and artificial retention,
4. A catalogue of activities designed to mitigate the effects of drought.
The direct result of the implementation of the project, being the environmental effect, will be thedevelopment of plans to prevent the effects of drought in river basin districts
Project value
The source of project financing: 2nd priority axis of the Operational Program Infrastructure and Environment – Environmental protection, including adaptation to climate change (Cohesion Fund resources).
