428
R. Graf and K. Pyszny
development is the protection of waters and ecosystems dependent thereon, and
this is achieved among others by pro-environmental methods of spatial development, compensatory actions and—to a lesser extent—corrective actions. In urbanised
areas, in turn, there is observed an increase in the demand for potable water and water
for manufacturing purposes, and the need to protect society and minimise hazards
connected with the occurrence of extreme climatic and hydrological phenomena,
which objectives are implemented in parallel with that of protection of waters. The
basis for adapting socio-economic systems to climate change and preventing catastrophes is the appropriate management of water, soil and biological resources, their
protection, and actions aimed at maintaining and restoring the efficient functioning
of ecosystems. Metropolitan areas are amongst the main areas for actions connected
with the protection of biological diversity and the adaptation of the water management, spatial management and construction sectors to climate change. In Poland, this
purpose is served by the “Strategic Plan of Adaptation for Sectors and Areas Sensitive to Climate Change up to the Year 2020, with a Perspective up to the Year 2030”
[16]. This plan forms a part of the adaptational actions planned out by EU strategy
in the document entitled “White Paper—Adapting to Climate Change: Towards a
European Framework for Action”, elaborated in 2009 [17]. On the state level, an
active climatic policy promotes a fundamental instrument, namely integrated spatial
planning based on efficient spatial monitoring which utilises the Spatial Information
System (SIS).
The following are considered as priority water development actions: ensuring the
appropriate quantity and quality of water for the population and satisfying social and
economically justified water-related needs of the economy when realising environmental objectives, which concern limiting the degradation of waters by attaining and
maintaining the proper state and potential of waters and the ecosystems connected
therewith (Fig. 18.2). As regards the quality and protection of waters, the Water
Framework Directive [14] indicates the most important environmental objective as
being the attainment by 2015 (and thereafter in 2021 and 2027) of the good ecological condition (naturally uniform parts of waters) and the environmental potential of
waters (strongly altered and artificial uniform parts of waters). However, the majority
of metropolises in Poland are representative of areas threatened by the non-attainment
of the environmental objective (Fig. 18.3), which require a high degree of intervention and management, and are exposed to considerable anthropogenic pressure. In
turn, the non-threatened group usually includes areas (catchment areas) which are in
the main located on lands that are less urbanised and developed, with an insignificant
degree of anthropogenic impact on the state of waters, or where this pressure has
been minimised to a certain degree, or where corrective and compensatory actions
have been performed.
The dynamic changes occurring under the influence of anthropogenic pressure
in the natural environment of metropolitan areas bring about far-reaching transformations of their structure and spatial function. They concern among others the
R. Graf and K. Pyszny
development is the protection of waters and ecosystems dependent thereon, and
this is achieved among others by pro-environmental methods of spatial development, compensatory actions and—to a lesser extent—corrective actions. In urbanised
areas, in turn, there is observed an increase in the demand for potable water and water
for manufacturing purposes, and the need to protect society and minimise hazards
connected with the occurrence of extreme climatic and hydrological phenomena,
which objectives are implemented in parallel with that of protection of waters. The
basis for adapting socio-economic systems to climate change and preventing catastrophes is the appropriate management of water, soil and biological resources, their
protection, and actions aimed at maintaining and restoring the efficient functioning
of ecosystems. Metropolitan areas are amongst the main areas for actions connected
with the protection of biological diversity and the adaptation of the water management, spatial management and construction sectors to climate change. In Poland, this
purpose is served by the “Strategic Plan of Adaptation for Sectors and Areas Sensitive to Climate Change up to the Year 2020, with a Perspective up to the Year 2030”
[16]. This plan forms a part of the adaptational actions planned out by EU strategy
in the document entitled “White Paper—Adapting to Climate Change: Towards a
European Framework for Action”, elaborated in 2009 [17]. On the state level, an
active climatic policy promotes a fundamental instrument, namely integrated spatial
planning based on efficient spatial monitoring which utilises the Spatial Information
System (SIS).
The following are considered as priority water development actions: ensuring the
appropriate quantity and quality of water for the population and satisfying social and
economically justified water-related needs of the economy when realising environmental objectives, which concern limiting the degradation of waters by attaining and
maintaining the proper state and potential of waters and the ecosystems connected
therewith (Fig. 18.2). As regards the quality and protection of waters, the Water
Framework Directive [14] indicates the most important environmental objective as
being the attainment by 2015 (and thereafter in 2021 and 2027) of the good ecological condition (naturally uniform parts of waters) and the environmental potential of
waters (strongly altered and artificial uniform parts of waters). However, the majority
of metropolises in Poland are representative of areas threatened by the non-attainment
of the environmental objective (Fig. 18.3), which require a high degree of intervention and management, and are exposed to considerable anthropogenic pressure. In
turn, the non-threatened group usually includes areas (catchment areas) which are in
the main located on lands that are less urbanised and developed, with an insignificant
degree of anthropogenic impact on the state of waters, or where this pressure has
been minimised to a certain degree, or where corrective and compensatory actions
have been performed.
The dynamic changes occurring under the influence of anthropogenic pressure
in the natural environment of metropolitan areas bring about far-reaching transformations of their structure and spatial function. They concern among others the