1. Institute of Meteorology and Water Management Roman Konieczny
Flood education and communication on the local level as a base of flood risk reduction
Institute of Meteorology and Water Management
Roman Konieczny

2. Flood risk in Poland Big floods and local events
Great floods in 1997, 2001, 2010
All floods occurred between

3. Office for Collaboration with Local Government, Institute of Meteorology and Water Management
The Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) is the research-and-development unit which runs the national hydrology and meteorology service. The Institute gathers and processes hydro-meteorological data, on the basis of which it also prepares warnings concerning threatening natural events, in the form of information, communications and hydrological and meteorological prediction.
Office for Collaboration with Local Government – the unit of the Institute focus on cooperation with local communities. The office was involved in realization of many national and international projects in the field of flood management.

4. Measures of flood risk reduction
Flood risk management
FLOOD RISK means the combining of probability and negative consequences of floods (Flood directive)
Measures of flood risk reduction
Hazard
Eksposure
Vulnerability
RISK +
Instruments and mechanism stimulating implementation of above measures

5. Main directions of activity
Based on research and practical experience we try to promote three directions of activity:
Development of an local flood warning system
Improvement of inhabitant knowledge and awareness (trainings, education, cooperation with massmedia)
Preparation of flood mitigation plans for small towns, communes etc.

6. LOCAL FLOOD WARNING SYSTEM
Case: Kłodzko Valley
Did you receive any warnings in 1997?
Local Flood Monitoring System
Did they reach you on time?

7. Local Flood Warning System OSIRIS Project (V FP)
Klodzk County: floods in 1997 / 1998, total losses 87 / 28 mln PLN, fatalities 13 / 8.
District of Klodzko built local flood monitoring system (40 rain and water gauges)
Tools for county crisis management center:
Software aiding local center in assessing flood risk and possible consequences of risk
Notification system mass telephone notification system to inhabitants (800 persons/hour)
Educational program – cooperation with schools, gminas, journalists, NGO.
Office for Collaboration with Local Government, IMGW Kraków, Poland

8. Kędzierzyn-Kożle City
Local flood warning systems
Local Flood Warning Systems in Poland
Staszów District
Świdnica District
Kraków City
Nowa Ruda Commune
Tarnów City
Kłodzko Dist.
Mielec District
Kędzierzyn-Kożle City
Wroclaw City
Jasło District
Żywiec District
Brzesko Commune

9. Water level measurement updated every half an hour
Access to the rain and water level data
Water level measurement updated every half an hour
Water level chart
Stan alarmowy
Stan ostrzegawczy
Rain and water level data are available for general public. Updated every half an hour data from approximately 1000 rain and water gauges are presented in internet on the Web Page
pogodynka.pl
Select the water gauge
Select the region
Cel
Zwrócenie uwagi na najbardziej wiarygodne źródło ostrzeżeń o zagrożeniu powodziowym dla miejscowości i aktualnej sytuacji powodziowej oraz zalecanych sposobach postępowania.
Opis
Ostrzeżenia o zagrożeniu powodziowym przygotowywane są w Instytucie Meteorologii i Gospodarki Wodnej, który dysponuje siecią pomiarową i obserwacyjną, i na podstawie danych z tej sieci opracowuje prognozy meteorologiczne i hydrologiczne. Przesyłane są one zgodnie z obowiązującymi przepisami do centrów zarządzania kryzysowego odpowiednich urzędów wojewódzkich, które z kolei rozsyłają je do centrów powiatowych, skąd następnie trafiają do gmin.
Jak widać droga powiadamiania jest dosyć długa. Zdarza się, że do mieszkańców te ostrzeżenia docierają zbyt późno, by mogli oni uratować swój dobytek. Dlatego coraz częściej samorządy lokalne (gminy i powiaty) budują swoje własne posterunki pomiarowe, by mieć szybszy dostęp do informacji o zagrożeniu.
Jednak dostęp do informacji pomiarowej i do prognoz to jedno.
Druga sprawa to obowiązująca w Polsce jeszcze ciągle praktyka działania, zgodnie z którą ostrzeżenia wysyłane są do mieszkańców dopiero wtedy, gdy jest już pewność, że powódź jest nieuchronna. Więc zamiast próbować dzwonić co pół godziny do lokalnego centrum kryzysowego, by spytać, czy woda opada, czy raczej się podnosi, można obserwować sytuację przez Internet. IMGW na stronach umieszcza komunikaty i ostrzeżenia oraz udostępnia dane pomiarowe poziomu wody w rzekach, odświeżając je co pół godziny.

10. Education programme School competition
Task 2 – family evacuation plans
Basic assumptions:
Let’s touch problems instead of bone up on its
Do something practical for others
Share collected knowledge and experience with others.
Task 1 – historical floods
Task 3 – sharing knowledge

11. Results of the education contest in Brzesko
keep the people away from the flood
Be familiar with flood (community preparedness)
In the contest, the following effects were achieved:
Wisła
4 municipalities (local authorities) took part in the contest
12 schools, 22 teachers and 360 students took part in the contest
Over 280 families prepared Family Flood Plans
About 1500 persons from the area were exposed to flood subject matter.

12. Cooperation with the media
Handbook for crisis management centers
Materials for journalists
Journalists can pick up the handbook at crisis management centers
How to understand and work with the media
the causes of catastrophes
the possible course they can take
institutions and their responsibilities
advice to people at risk
These publications were prepared on the base of interviews with 12 journalists, 57 crisis managers and analysis of content of 100 press articles and 6 hours of television materials.

13. Non-stop River Talk summer action of Radio Kraków
For 3 months, the program was broadcast from a ship moored to the river bank. The main goal was to draw people’s attention to the river, its role in human life, its benefits and the problems it causes.
The program included an exhibition about Kraków’s flood history, discussions with authorities on the future of the river, courses in salsa dancing on the bank of the river, etc.. Thousands of people participated.

14. Local flood mitigation plan for village Cooperation with inhabitants
Pilot program for small village Gorzanów (1000 inhabitants) affected by flood in 1997
when 81 houses were affected.
Planning group:
residents, volunteers from fire brigades, priest, elected village representatives to local council, teachers, members of Friends of Gorzanow Association etc.
Work carried out:
Diagnosis of local perception of flood risk (questionnaire)
Flood hazard maps (1997)
Local warning dissemination system based on volunteers
Elements of response plan
Educational activity – cooperation with school, local NGO…

15. Identified local flood issues
Did you know that your house is within inundation areas?
Channel
Residents believe that only structural measures are able to help them. Reservoirs planned for upper Nysa Kłodzka reduce 1% flood in Gorzanów by 0,3 – 0,4 m.

16. Flood wardens (volunteers) network
Flood wardens tasks:
Warn neighbours
Update phone numbers
Disseminate information (leaflets)
Advise neighbours how to protect their property
Network is under control of local volunteer fire brigade.

17. Risk communication prevention phase

18. Thank you for your attention roman.konieczny@imgw.pl