15 Flood Risk Management System in Poland
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and methods of flood risk identification includes a definition of the flood, which is
interpreted as a hydrological event with a specific origin, magnitude, duration and
active coverage [12]. During the flood water in natural watercourses, water reservoirs,
channels or sea after exceeding the bank level floods river valleys, depression areas
and causes a hazard to persons and property [13]. According to the Directive [11],
a flood is an instance of water temporarily covering an area which normally is not
covered by water, caused by rivers and mountain streams, and storm floodings in
coastal areas.
Flood risk is interpreted as a measure of the extreme event state that leads to a
threat or loss. It is a combination of risk, that is flood occurrence probability, as
well as potential losses, which are the sum of exposure and susceptibility, resulting
from natural and socio-economic circumstances. Previous flood prevention models
were mainly based on a technical protections system whose purpose was primarily
to reduce flood wave culmination, delay it or confine the flood waters (flood control
reservoirs and levees), and immediate warning and response at the time of flood
occurrence. The new risk management system, also based on non-technical flood
prevention methods [14, 15], includes preliminary risk assessment, preparation of
flood hazard and flood risk maps, and flood risk management plans [11].
A vital stage of risk management in the event of a flood, mainly in terms of
reducing the consequences of its occurrence: the hazard, damage and losses, beside
flood protection, is also flood prevention and mitigation [7, 11, 16–19]. Prevention of flood risks focuses on the design of flood management schemes taking into
account economic development and climate change [20–23]. Flood risk mitigation
(reduction) as a management phase includes actions aimed at decreasing of riskgenerating threats and protection against adverse effects [11]. It requires another
type of measure, taking into account spatial planning: development of new urban
areas, flood proofing and compartmentalisation and dedicated protection of vital
infrastructure [15, 24–26]. Mitigation, as a risk management phase, meaning efforts
to lower the probability of flood hazard occurrence and minimise the consequences of
a flood situation, is implemented primarily in the time of ‘dormant public vigilance’
between floods. It is defined by a number of mechanisms, so-called mitigators, used
to lower the probability of a threat occurring and reduce the after-effects of a flood
situation [11]. In analysing it, of help are evaluations of area flood susceptibility
and the ability to adapt to changes resulting from the flood risk increasing under the
influence climatic and anthropogenic factors [3, 4, 10, 27–30]. The models dealing
with flood risk management implemented in Poland, in connection with the Floods
Directive, represent the three strategies. The strategy “Moving flood away from the
people” is altering flood to meet the requirements of human activity and the next
strategy “Moving people away from flood” accommodate human economic activity
to flood. In turn the strategy “Learning to live with flood” proposes reducing an area’s
flood and inundation susceptibility during a flood.
283
and methods of flood risk identification includes a definition of the flood, which is
interpreted as a hydrological event with a specific origin, magnitude, duration and
active coverage [12]. During the flood water in natural watercourses, water reservoirs,
channels or sea after exceeding the bank level floods river valleys, depression areas
and causes a hazard to persons and property [13]. According to the Directive [11],
a flood is an instance of water temporarily covering an area which normally is not
covered by water, caused by rivers and mountain streams, and storm floodings in
coastal areas.
Flood risk is interpreted as a measure of the extreme event state that leads to a
threat or loss. It is a combination of risk, that is flood occurrence probability, as
well as potential losses, which are the sum of exposure and susceptibility, resulting
from natural and socio-economic circumstances. Previous flood prevention models
were mainly based on a technical protections system whose purpose was primarily
to reduce flood wave culmination, delay it or confine the flood waters (flood control
reservoirs and levees), and immediate warning and response at the time of flood
occurrence. The new risk management system, also based on non-technical flood
prevention methods [14, 15], includes preliminary risk assessment, preparation of
flood hazard and flood risk maps, and flood risk management plans [11].
A vital stage of risk management in the event of a flood, mainly in terms of
reducing the consequences of its occurrence: the hazard, damage and losses, beside
flood protection, is also flood prevention and mitigation [7, 11, 16–19]. Prevention of flood risks focuses on the design of flood management schemes taking into
account economic development and climate change [20–23]. Flood risk mitigation
(reduction) as a management phase includes actions aimed at decreasing of riskgenerating threats and protection against adverse effects [11]. It requires another
type of measure, taking into account spatial planning: development of new urban
areas, flood proofing and compartmentalisation and dedicated protection of vital
infrastructure [15, 24–26]. Mitigation, as a risk management phase, meaning efforts
to lower the probability of flood hazard occurrence and minimise the consequences of
a flood situation, is implemented primarily in the time of ‘dormant public vigilance’
between floods. It is defined by a number of mechanisms, so-called mitigators, used
to lower the probability of a threat occurring and reduce the after-effects of a flood
situation [11]. In analysing it, of help are evaluations of area flood susceptibility
and the ability to adapt to changes resulting from the flood risk increasing under the
influence climatic and anthropogenic factors [3, 4, 10, 27–30]. The models dealing
with flood risk management implemented in Poland, in connection with the Floods
Directive, represent the three strategies. The strategy “Moving flood away from the
people” is altering flood to meet the requirements of human activity and the next
strategy “Moving people away from flood” accommodate human economic activity
to flood. In turn the strategy “Learning to live with flood” proposes reducing an area’s
flood and inundation susceptibility during a flood.