Search

There is a potential threat to lakes and water reservoirs from contamination released due to the flooding of objects that can pose an environmental risk (cemeteries, sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping stations, landfills and industrial plants) located in areas prone to inundation. The analysis covered large lakes and reservoirs (those with the area of over 50 ha), identified as bodies of surface water located in areas potentially affected by flooding of high (10%), medium (1%) and low (0.2%) probability of occurrence. These areas are presented on flood hazard maps and flood risk maps. The results of analyses revealed that the scale of potential threat to Polish lakes, defined as bodies of surface water, with contamination from objects of environmental flood risk is marginal, however, in the case of reservoirs – significant.

Flooding constitutes one of the main natural hazards in Poland, which causes enormous social, economic and environmental losses. The main causes of the occurrence of floods include intensive rainfall, rapid melting of snow and ice cover, as well as strong gusts of wind from the sea. Based on the resilience theory (resistance, elasticity), which constitutes an efficient tool for the description of the social-ecological system capability or components thereof to mitigate the effects of dangerous events, as well as the capability of reconstructing and adapting the system to new conditions, the authors have analysed the exposure of Polish lakes to flood risks with a probability of occurrence Q0.2%, Q1% and Q10%. In order to determine the level of exposure of lakes to the risk of flooding by flood waters, studies were conducted using the flood hazard and flood risk maps which were developed under the Project entitled “IT System of the Country’s Protection against Extreme Hazards”. The result of the efforts of the group of authors is the determination of the number of lakes, which are located in the flood risk area Q0.2%, Q1% and Q10%, including division into risk level groups (low, moderate and high). The results presented in the paper may constitute a contribution to further, more detailed studies concerning assessment of the vulnerability of Polish lakes located in the flood prone area.

The aim of this article is to present a preliminary assessment of the adaptability of Polish municipalities to the flood hazard. In the conducted studies municipalities were understood not only as basic local government units in Poland, but also as social-ecological systems. The study covered 18 municipalities situated in the sub-basin of Nysa Kłodzka. This region has suffered from numerous floods in the past, and adverse consequences in the form of material losses as well as in human victims let us acknowledge this part of Poland to be one of the most threatened by floods. The analyses used data available in the public domain (mainly from the Statistics Poland database; Polish abbr. GUS) as well as obtained using the questionnaire created for this purpose. The preliminary studies on adaptability of the municipalities in the area of the sub-basin of Nysa Kłodzka have been conducted using the data form the period of 2010-2016. The starting point for conducting a multidimensional comparative analysis, and at the same time the selection of 110 gained diagnostic variables describing 18 determinants of SES adaptability to flood hazard was the identification of 2 main factors determining SES’ adaptability (its adaptive potential and adaptive capacity), and 4 categories of determinants of its adaptability (human capital and social potential, financial potential, ecological potential and organizational potential). The initial selection of the diagnostic variables was made using the Pearson correlation coefficient. The proposed logic of aggregation and selection of these variables can be adapted for the adaptability studies on other territorial units and for study on their adaptability to different kinds of threats.

For Polish municipalities – basic units of local government (LGU), flood constitutes a significant source of material losses resulting both from flood damages and from the costs of restoring the regular functioning of the municipalities after the disaster is gone. Authors stated a thesis that the municipality, despite its constitutional obligations connected with providing the safety for its citizens, is not capable to bear the financial burden shaping the flood protection system in the basin. It is, however, due to support the flood protection system by strengthening its adaptive potential and adaptive capacity for efficient limitation of adverse consequences of flood. To justify this thesis, the financial condition of the municipalities threatened with flood was compared to the size of potential flood losses for floods of the medium probability of occurrence (p = 1%). Authors have shown that the municipality’s structure, more than its budget size decides about its financial potential. Especially the municipality’s own revenue is an evidence for the determined financial potential, at the same time, it can be a source of the undertaken actions in order to increase the level of the municipality’s adaptability in the context of flood hazard. Conducted analyses allow to shape the flood risk management policy, both at the municipal level and on a national scale.

The level of adaptability of basic administrative units in Poland (municipalities - gminy) has a huge impact on the extent of adverse consequences caused by floods, and therefore on the flood risk in municipalities. As part of the research, we selected 15 characteristics of the municipalities which shape their adaptability processes and allow a diagnosis of the municipalities' adaptability to be made. The article aims at presenting the methodology of empirical research seeking to obtain observable data (indicators) using quantitative studies. These indicators make to possible to assess the level of the municipalities' adaptability to flood risk. The empirical research with the use of the questionnaire produced the results which -- by preparing a questionnaire --enabled us to obtain data which are unavailable to the general public, but are vital in identifying all characteristics of a municipality which impact its adaptability assessment. The questionnaire was applied in an adaptability research of 18 municipalities located in the Nysa Kłodzka basin, which are most at risk of flooding. Nevertheless, the research tool is a universal one and could be used for analysing any type of natural hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]