1 Introduction to the “Quality of Water Resources in Poland”
5
1.2 Main Themes of the Book
The book includes the following main parts: Key Issues of Water Resources Protection in Poland (part II), Water Quality Evaluation (part III), and Water and Wastewater in Urban Areas (part IV). In addition to the introduction and conclusions parts.
The second part consists of 4 chapters. Part III contains 10 chapters, while Part IV
consists of 3 chapters. In the sections below, the main features of each of them will
be presented under the appropriate topic.
1.3 Key Issues of Water Resources Protection in Poland
The Section 1.3 presents the general state of water resources in Poland and their
economic use in Poland. The current state and quality of water resources is the
result of water management over many years in accordance with the applicable water
resources management system and the organizational structure of water management
in Poland.
Chapter 2 “Assessment of Water Resources in Poland” discusses the size of
water resources in Poland, which are among the lowest among European countries.
Water resources are very variable, both temporally and spatially, which results from
the temporal and spatially variable distribution of precipitation, which is random. The
average annual total outflow from Poland in the years 1951–2015 was about 61 km
3 ,
from 37.5 km
3 in 1954 to 89.9 km
3 in 1981. The average unit outflow in the years
1951–2015 was 5.4 dm
3 /skm
2 in the Vistula basin area and 4.7 dm
3 /s km
2 in the Oder
basin. The study indicates ways to reduce water surpluses and deficiencies, including
in the form of small reservoir retention. A separate problem related to the use of water
resources and its quality is the problem of water intake and consumption by various
sectors of the national economy. Practical solutions used in the world and to a small
extent in Poland for recovery and reuse of water in industrial plants, agriculture and
newly built residential buildings were indicated.
Chapter 3 entitled “Development and Protection of Water Resources in
Protected Areas in Poland in Pursuit of Sustainable Development” introduces
the reader to the general assumptions of protecting and shaping water resources.
The author pays special attention to legally protected areas, which are characterized
by high landscape value. The current study focuses on lakes occurring in national
parks because they are the least stable and most vulnerable places in terms of environmental changes in the geographical area. The best way to preserve areas that
are valuable for the environment is to give them legal status based on environmental
goals. However, not all environmentally valuable areas are legally protected or may be
legally protected. The author indicates that in order to protect unique water resources
a local spatial development plan is needed.
Chapter 4 entitled “Anthropogenic Water Reservoirs in Poland” discusses the
capacity and quality of water in artificial water reservoirs found in Poland. Among
5
1.2 Main Themes of the Book
The book includes the following main parts: Key Issues of Water Resources Protection in Poland (part II), Water Quality Evaluation (part III), and Water and Wastewater in Urban Areas (part IV). In addition to the introduction and conclusions parts.
The second part consists of 4 chapters. Part III contains 10 chapters, while Part IV
consists of 3 chapters. In the sections below, the main features of each of them will
be presented under the appropriate topic.
1.3 Key Issues of Water Resources Protection in Poland
The Section 1.3 presents the general state of water resources in Poland and their
economic use in Poland. The current state and quality of water resources is the
result of water management over many years in accordance with the applicable water
resources management system and the organizational structure of water management
in Poland.
Chapter 2 “Assessment of Water Resources in Poland” discusses the size of
water resources in Poland, which are among the lowest among European countries.
Water resources are very variable, both temporally and spatially, which results from
the temporal and spatially variable distribution of precipitation, which is random. The
average annual total outflow from Poland in the years 1951–2015 was about 61 km
3 ,
from 37.5 km
3 in 1954 to 89.9 km
3 in 1981. The average unit outflow in the years
1951–2015 was 5.4 dm
3 /skm
2 in the Vistula basin area and 4.7 dm
3 /s km
2 in the Oder
basin. The study indicates ways to reduce water surpluses and deficiencies, including
in the form of small reservoir retention. A separate problem related to the use of water
resources and its quality is the problem of water intake and consumption by various
sectors of the national economy. Practical solutions used in the world and to a small
extent in Poland for recovery and reuse of water in industrial plants, agriculture and
newly built residential buildings were indicated.
Chapter 3 entitled “Development and Protection of Water Resources in
Protected Areas in Poland in Pursuit of Sustainable Development” introduces
the reader to the general assumptions of protecting and shaping water resources.
The author pays special attention to legally protected areas, which are characterized
by high landscape value. The current study focuses on lakes occurring in national
parks because they are the least stable and most vulnerable places in terms of environmental changes in the geographical area. The best way to preserve areas that
are valuable for the environment is to give them legal status based on environmental
goals. However, not all environmentally valuable areas are legally protected or may be
legally protected. The author indicates that in order to protect unique water resources
a local spatial development plan is needed.
Chapter 4 entitled “Anthropogenic Water Reservoirs in Poland” discusses the
capacity and quality of water in artificial water reservoirs found in Poland. Among