Flood is one of the most dangerous phenomena in the country. In order to increase safety of our citizens and mitigate adverse effects of a flood, acting pursuant to the Flood Directive and the Act on Water Law, the National Water Management Authority (KZGW) is currently carrying out works dedicated to drafting flood risk management plans (PZRP) for the river basins and water regions. Those works have been preceded by the drafting of the preliminary flood risk assessment (WORP) as well as flood hazard maps (MZP) and flood risk maps (MRP.) WORP aimed at indicating areas at risk of flood, i.e. areas where potential significant flood risk exists or might be considered likely to occur. In Poland, during the 1st planning cycle, 253 rivers of total length of 14,481 km have been recognised as at risk of flood. The works on WORP were finalised in December 2011, the document is available on the following website - PFRA Library.

The areas that are at risk of flood have been drafted and assigned the flood risk maps and flood hazard maps.

Currently, basing on the prepared planning documents and collected data, flood risk management plans are being developed for two different levels relating to the country’s area – river basins and water regions. The works are conducted simultaneously for the river basins of Odra, Vistula as well as Pregoła and 9 water regions. In order to ensure that all interested entities are able to take part in the development process, several working groups have been formed and assigned to the river basins, water regions as well as sub-basins. Their task is to use their knowledge and experience to assist those responsible for developing PZRP.

By following carefully selected measures dedicated to minimising the identified threats, flood risk management plans aim at reducing potential negative consequences of the flood for the life and health of people, environment, cultural heritage and business. Those measures must also lead to reducing the losses caused by the flood.

The responsibility to draft such plans has been brought by the Directive 2007/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2007 on the assessment and management of flood risks, the so called Flood Directive. Consistent with the Act on Water Law. The party liable for drafting the plans for the river basins is the President of the National Water Management Authority, while the responsibility for the plans covering water regions falls upon the directors of the individual Regional Water Management Authority.

The project is co-funded by the European Union’s Operational Programme Technical Assistance 2007-2013.