Information and Educational Materials

It is estimated that the damage and loss caused by floods to people and their households make for up to 20% of total flood damage. A large part of them may be reduced by the victims themselves. The strategies dedicated to minimising the consequences of the floods commonly used around the world and currently implemented in Poland focus mainly on the prevention-related activities of the local authorities. The role of the state is to support those activities. One of the forms of such support is education which aims to reach all those threatened by the flood to share knowledge about the hazard, methods of preparing for the flood and reducing its effect.

"Flood Protection Vademecum" discusses various types of issues connected with such event as flood, types of floods and their impact on the nature as well as methods of protecting the areas and the buildings against the negative effects of the flood. A complex tutorial, the vademecum is addressed at students and the personnel of offices and institutions responsible for flood protection assisting them in their professional duties and interests in the subject.

The brochure contains information relating to implementation of the Flood Directive in Poland, its philosophy and measures laid to develop flood risk management plans for river basins. It also describes definition of the term "flood risk", provides basic documents necessary to draft plans (initial evaluation of flood hazard and maps detailing threats and flood risks), catalogue of flood risk management goals along with the catalogue of measures that enable to achieve them; it also details information concerning citizens participation in the planning process.

Teaching materials

Schools are one of the important communication channels providing information about flood protection. The below-described teaching and educational materials relating to the flood subject are intended to be used during classes in primary, middle and high schools in consistence with the current trends of flood mitigation. One of the proposals concerns educating adults through children as part of the school contest organised by cooperating schools and local authorities.

This brochure contains description of the school contest dedicated to the flood and entitled "Family Flood Plan", it is a form of educating children and adults which involves both children and a school. The publishing is addressed mainly at the local authorities interested in initiating flood education in their communes.

The book presents basic knowledge relating to protecting family and property in the event of the flood, ready scenarios for classes dedicated to various age groups and teaching levels along with knowledge tests, proposals for workshops that may be individually modified depending on the teacher’s needs as well as suggested themes to be used during different classes dedicated to the subject of floods. In 2004, the book has been awarded by the Minister of Environment, it also received a positive opinion of the then Centre for Professional Improvement of the Teachers.

The CD contains a set of three theme presentations on the flood along with the methods of mitigating its effects (damage mitigation strategy), each slide is accompanied by text information and descriptions. Presentations may be modified in order to fit into the teacher’s individual needs.

The leaflet is addressed at children and their parents; it is to assist them during drafting a family evacuation plan. It contains basic information and advice how to develop such plan and space to enter individual arrangements. The leaflet may be distributed to school children during theme classes or as one of the tasks during inter-school contest described in the book "How to deal with a flood. A guide for the flood education promoter."