International Workshop „Flood risk management in Europe”
Floods are one of the largest natural risks in Poland. Inundation caused by the excess of water are generating large financial losses and are threats for human health and even life. The increasing building density and a rising number and intensity of extreme weather events, are forcing to face the risk of floods more often and in more flexible way. At the same time hydrotechnical approach to floods, as the most dominant in dealing with flood risk, is critisised for its ineffectiveness and being harmful for environment. Is dykes construction the only solution? What is the role of spatial planning or water retention in decreasing the danger of a flood? How the decisions referring to flood risk reduction are formed? During the workshop, organised by the Institute for Agricultural and Forest Environment, Polish Academy of Sciences and Warsaw University, within the 2nd International Conference on Natural Disaster Risk Reduction, the organisers, together with invited guests and participants of the conference, will try to address these questions. During the session results of Polish flood risk management, obtained as a part of the international research project STAR-FLOOD (“STrengthening And Redesigning European FLOOD risk practices: Towards appropriate and resilient flood risk governance arrangements”, http://www.starflood.eu/) will be presented. This is a first look, in a holistic way, at the flood risk management system in 6 European countries, including Poland, that takes into account issues of financial and nonfinancial resources, as well as legislation and problems of public discourse. The meeting is to have a character of workshop, and will include presentation part, panel debate and discussion with a broader audience. Invited guests representing countries form Central Europe, will refer to the flood risk management system from perspective of their own experience. The opinion of every participant will be a large support in the attempt to an apt description and diagnosis of the flood risk management system in Poland. All interested in participation in the workshop are warmly welcome.