17th EUROPEAN SEMINAR ON GEOGRAPHY OF WATER Working group: Flooding and flood water mitigation EVENT RESPONSE RECOVERY MITIGATION/ PLANNING WARNING Hazard Cycle for floods in the Polesine Area Panka Babukova, Elisabeth Magyar, Kristyna Falatkova, Katerina Marouskova, Teresa Heidemann, Valentin Kostatin, Morten Jõgi, Thomas Büche, Stefan Weinberger, Jose Luis Mellado Blanco, Rain Kärner,

Event Description Conditions in most natural areas: Flood lasts as long as runoff in river is increased Conditions in most areas with flood protection (burst of embankments): Flood lasts longer than runoff in river is increased (delayed backflow) 17th EUROPEAN SEMINAR ON GEOGRAPHY OF WATER Working group: Flooding and flood water mitigation

Conditions in Po-Delta: Rivers are supra-elevated Area lies below the sea-level  Water can not discharge to the sea  True for: Precipitation Increased runoff in river (branches of Po) Burst of embankments Sea level Data: S. Piovan 17th EUROPEAN SEMINAR ON GEOGRAPHY OF WATER Working group: Flooding and flood water mitigation

17th EUROPEAN SEMINAR ON GEOGRAPHY OF WATER Working group: Flooding and flood water mitigation Municipalities that suffered major damages from the October‐November 2000 floods Response and Recovery of the floods of 2000 in Po river basin in Northwest of Italy

17th EUROPEAN SEMINAR ON GEOGRAPHY OF WATER Working group: Flooding and flood water mitigation Flooding of Response and recovery Data best-fit and comparable for possible floodings. Initial response to (attempt to) restore basic living conditions, to clean the debris, to secure the hydrological structure

17th EUROPEAN SEMINAR ON GEOGRAPHY OF WATER Working group: Flooding and flood water mitigation Railway recovery near Turin – more than 2 years Temporary isolation of smaller towns in the area Hydropower plant recovery 6 months Water supply interuptions for a week Flooding of Response and recovery

Main problems of flood risk management Po delta: Lack of management on a river basin level Poor communication and coordination between water management institutions Expensive flood protection (pumping stations, maintenance of embankments) Bad condition of ditches – private owners, no regulations, neglected Warning system – not working effectively Low level of public awareness about flood risk Padova: Canal network - bad condition of the canals (vegetation, age) regulation of discharge  sluices Mattia Amadio Panka Babukova 17th EUROPEAN SEMINAR ON GEOGRAPHY OF WATER Working group: Flooding and flood water mitigation

Technical flood risk mitigation measures Increase retention capacity – emergency reservoirs, collector of rainwater Reopening the canals and maintenance of the dykes and ditches Individual protection for the houses – mobile walls, building specifications (roof retention capacity, basement regulation, elevated first floor) Land architecture protection measures 17th EUROPEAN SEMINAR ON GEOGRAPHY OF WATER Working group: Flooding and flood water mitigation

Non-technical flood risk mitigation measures Flood risk management on a basin level (according to the EU Water Framework Directive and Floods Directive) Creation of dialog between institutions and distribution of responsibilities within the basin Use existing research Integration of existing flood hazard and risk maps in spatial planning regulations, insurance and for public Improvement of the early warning systems Raise public awareness and involvement Mattia Amadio Panka Babukova 17th EUROPEAN SEMINAR ON GEOGRAPHY OF WATER Working group: Flooding and flood water mitigation

Po Delta is a complex territory, resulting from the interaction of human societies and a changing environment. “Natural hazard” or “territorial risk” ? Technical representations of natural hazard, based on calculations (modeling) of flood level, cannot completely explain a complex risky territorial context: vulnerability is increased by human behavior, linked to cultural, social and historical factors Awareness of territorial peculiarities as a pre-condition for the creation of a culture of risk Reclaimed lands Trust in human ability to control and “organize” nature 17th EUROPEAN SEMINAR ON GEOGRAPHY OF WATER Working group: Flooding and flood water mitigation

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