STOP DROUGHT! REDUCING THE EFFECTS OF DROUGHT IS A PRIORITY OF THE NATIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY

The National Water Management Authority has announced further tenders for channel retention investments, whose task is to improve the water balance in agricultural areas. Due to the ongoing drought, an additional PLN 154.7 million has been designated for implementing 645 investment tasks throughout Poland.

For the two years of its existence, the National Water Management Authority has implemented 8,000 tasks in Poland, contributing to improved local water balance. Investments in this respect total PLN 554 million.

For 2020, we have planned 4,000 tasks of this type, for which PLN 380 million has been designated. In addition, PLN 60 million has been directed to a modern program of water resource formation in agricultural areas especially threatened by agricultural drought. The primary assumption and purpose is to reduce the effects of drought through strengthening the channel retention of rivers, channels and ditches, by the construction and reconstruction of a system of weirs, gates and culvert-gates allowing irrigation of arable land.

Prevention of the drought effects is currently the most important task of the National Water Management Authority. Since its conception in 2018, the Authority has been implementing the Stop Drought programme. Our actions within the programme are multifaceted.

• Within the framework of counteracting the effects of drought, the Authority has already implemented investments influencing improvement of the water balance of the country. Over 2 billion zloty has been designated for this purpose. This year, the National Water Management Authority is placing particular emphasis on local actions in agricultural areas. With special focus on those regions particularly threatened by drought, including agricultural drought. An additional PLN 154.7 million has been designated for this target, of which 60 million will be used for investments this year. At the same time, we are introducing further solutions from the field of small and large-scale retention, intended to improve the state of water resources in Poland.
• The investment actions are based on detailed analyses conducted via state-of-the-art research methods. On their basis, we have been able to analyse the phenomenon of drought in Poland in detail, and we are completing the development of a comprehensive drought effects counteraction plan. The document will contain the analysis of the possibilities for increasing available water resources and a set of necessary investments. It will also contain specific recommendations for local governments, helpful in ensuring sustainable water management within the gminas and, as a result, of the whole country. Planning documents of this rank have been already adopted by 10 European countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Slovakia and Ukraine.
• We are conducting social and education campaigns, which are important elements of a comprehensive approach to the national water resources. The main purpose is to raise social awareness concerning the small water resources we have at our disposal in Poland. In particular – about rational water management at an individual level, including abandoning the use of the highest quality potable water for watering lawns and purposes other than living, particularly in the spring-summer season.

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