Poland has entered another growing season with a water deficit. Dry, cracked soil and drying rivers are no longer regional anomalies, but a reality across large swaths of the country. The answer to these problems lies in the actions outlined in the currently updated Drought Effects Counteracting Plan. On June 17th – during the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought – a conference will be held in Gdańsk under the slogan “Stop Drought! Start Retention! – Time to Act!”. Experts and practitioners will discuss real and necessary solutions.
Tag Archives: water management
Experts, local government officials, and scientists analyzed mechanisms for combating drought during the conference “Stop Drought! Start Retention! – Time to Action!” held on June 17 in Gdańsk. The discussion focused on the proposed actions in the draft update of the Drought Effects Counteracting Plan (uDECP) for urban areas. Drawing on the experiences of Gdańsk, Łódź, and Poznań, the need for systemic legislative and educational changes was emphasized, as well as the importance of wetland protection and the role of comprehensive blue-green solutions in cities.
Over 450 experts and practitioners are debating in Gdańsk how to combat drought in the city. The meeting is taking place on the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. The choice of Tricity is not accidental – Gdańsk and Sopot are leaders in implementing blue-green infrastructure. The main topic of the conference “Stop Drought! Start Retention! – time for action!”, organized by Polish Waters, is the solutions proposed in the draft update of the Drought Effects Counteracting Plan.
On June 17, we invite you to the third Stop Drought! Start Retention! conference, which will take place in Gdańsk. During the event organized by the Polish Waters National Water Holding, we will focus on the practical dimension of drought mitigation. In particular, we will discuss the MEASURES proposed in the draft update of the Drought Effects Mitigation Plan (aPPSS).
April 22nd marks International Earth Day. It’s a day that annually prompts reflection on the condition of the natural environment. This year’s theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” resonates particularly strongly with one of today’s most serious challenges: the growing problem of drought and dwindling water resources. Access to water is no longer a given, and water itself is becoming a strategic asset whose availability requires conscious management. The theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” reminds us that we are all responsible for our planet and that ordinary, everyday actions can counteract climate change, including the effects of drought.
Drought is one of the most serious environmental challenges we currently face in Poland and worldwide. Experts in hydrology, climatology, agriculture, and water management agree – the problem is growing and it is long-term. Increasingly frequent and prolonged periods without rainfall, rising temperatures, and climate change are leading to lower groundwater levels, drying up of rivers and lakes, and deteriorating conditions for agriculture and ecosystems.
We usually associate drought with summer – with parched lawns, wilting plants, and the need for frequent watering. However, we must remember that the problem of soil water deficiency affects all seasons. Although autumn is often perceived as a time of frequent rains and a respite from gardening, it is actually a crucial time to prepare the garden and farm for the coming season. Now is the time to take steps to better retain water, store it, and improve plant health in the coming months.
The summer of 2025 was a particularly contrasting period in Poland in terms of water balance. Although the water balance indicator itself is complex and takes into account both inflows (including atmospheric precipitation, surface and groundwater recharge) and losses (evaporation, plant transpiration, surface runoff), in practice its development depends primarily on precipitation and air temperature, which influences the intensity of evapotranspiration (including evaporation from soil surfaces and water bodies, as well as plant transpiration).
When updating the Drought Effects Counteracting Plan (uDECP), broad cooperation of many groups is very important.
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.
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