GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PROTECTION OF ECOSYSTEMS AND NATURAL RISK PREVENTION Brussels, 18 February 2011

Coordination Center for Environmental Projects (CCEP) was established in 2008 to act as a Project Implementation Unit (PIU) Projects are co-financed by the EU Cohesion Fund (85% of eligible expenditure) Beneficiary: The State Forests – National Forests Holding Final Beneficiary: Forest Districts Ministry of Environment The State Forests – National Forests Holding Coordination Center for Environmental Projects (CCEP)

RDLP-The Regional Directorate of the State Forests Area of two Projects

Compliance with Habitats and Birds Directive Facilitation of integrity of Natura 2000 sites and overall coherence of the Natura 2000 network Compliance with Management Plans (where existing)

Compliance with the SEA and EIA Directive Strategical Environmental Assesments for both Projects were prepared Environmental Impact Assesments for individual structures is conducted before development consent is obtained

Improving the surface water resources, soil and groundwater Renaturisation of watercourses and wetlands. Aligning and slowing water runoff during flood events (flood retention). Minimizing the risk and preventing droughts Compliance with the Water Framework Directive and Flood Risk Directive

Two Projects coordinated by two teams 1. Increasing the retentive potential of forest ecosystems and counteracting the causes of flood and drought on forest ecosystem in lowland and 2. Counteracting the effects of rainwater runoff in mountainous areas. Increasing retention and maintaining streams and associated infrastructure in good condition

Small scale water retention in lowlands Small scale water retention in mountain areas Est.Capital Investment:ca. 50 million EUR (ca. 34,2 co financed by CF) Number of structures:over 3000 Water Storage Capacity:over 31 million m 3 (including storage of groundwater) Est.Capital Investment:ca. 43 million EUR (ca. 30 co financed by CF) Number of structures:over 3500 Water Storage Capacity:over 1,2 million m 3 without storage of groundwater

The first Projects objectives can be considered as: improvement of the forest habitats humidity by raising the water mirror of the surface water on the areas in the direct vicinity of the water reservoir or damming facility; conversion of the rapid outflow of the surface water from the forest area into the slower groundwater outflow; Small scale water retention in lowlands

Small scale water retention infrastructure in lowlands sluices dikes stopbanks floodbanks small water retention reservoirs Achieved by constructing water storage facilities, rehabilitation of existing amelioration systems to make them store water efficiently, as well as restoration of moors and wetlands.

Examples of structures built in the frame of the Project: 2.

Examples of structures built in the frame of the Project:

Small scale water retention in mountain areas The second Projects objectives can be considered as: the creation, reinstatement of small retention systems on rivers, rivulets and mountain streams and waterlogged recultivated areas; biological rebuild of watercourses, restoring functions of marshy areas, slowing down runoff, counteracting destructive force of spate waters neutralising the effects of surface runoff, creating of small water retention reservoirs

Small scale water retention infrastructure in mountain areas Water storage and run-off preventing infrastructure includes e.g. culverts timber crib gabions riffles log surfaces that reduce the surface runnoff, water gates in irrigation/drainage ditches.

Protection against erosion by planting. Before and after (around 10 years in process) Examples of structures built in the frame of the Project:

Culverts Before and after Examples of structures built in the frame of the Project:

THANK YOU! Monika Ślusarska-Czuber Tel