Flood Protection Developments along River Dráva from EU Funding22 March 2010
The assistance contract of the project bearing the title "Drávaszabolcs-Kémes Flood Area" was signed on 22 March.
The South-Transdanubian Environmental Protection and Water Authority is reinforcing and raising the level of embankments on the left bank of the River Dráva along a 20-kilometre stretch in the Drávaszabolcs area. The Environment and Energy Operational Programme (EEOP) is financing this project implemented from EU funding amounting to 3.2 billion HUF, the assistance contract of which has just been signed in Pécs. This investment affects 12 disadvantaged settlements in the Siklós micro-region, as an outcome of which some 4,000 residents will be better protected against future flooding.
Some 150 billion HUF has been made available within the framework of the New Hungary Development Plan between 2007-2013 for developing flood protection, which is many times more than the amount Hungary could allocate for this purpose over the past few years.
Embankments along the left bank of River Dráva were last developed during the 1980s, the present height of which flood protection embankments is lower than prescribed and is not safe enough. Flood protection embankments along the stretch below Drávasztára only provide protection up to the critical level of 60 cm, as opposed to the prescribed level of 120 cm. This development is also required on account of how flood warnings allow only minimum time to prepare owing to the speed at which floods approach the region down the River Dráva, as well as how there are limited opportunities for protection and that the decisive part of this catchment area is located across the border, which further exposes this region to flooding.
This development will provide better protection against floods for 12 disadvantaged settlements in the Siklós micro-region, namely, Matty, Gordisa, Drávaszabolcs, Drávacsehi, Drávapalkonya, Ipacsfa, Kovácshida, Kémes, Szaporca, Tésenfa, Drávaszerdahely and Drávacsepely. The population in the majority of these settlements lives under difficult economic and social circumstances, which is why it is especially important to protect these properties from flood hazards. Some 4,000 local residents and their assets, as well as numerous economic facilities and agricultural land will become better protected against floods thanks to this investment.
The standard cross-section will be developed; the embankment will be raised to the level prescribed and the stability of the river bed and bank will be increased as a part of this project. Moreover, cross drainage structures will be constructed and demolished; a new flood protection storage space will be created, protection centres and dyke master sites will be renewed and developed and various maintenance equipment will also be procured.
The total cost of this investment implemented from funding granted by the Environment and Energy Operational Programme (EEOP) amounts to 3.2 billion HUF. The South-Transdanubian Environmental Protection and Water Authority is reinforcing embankments along an over 5-kilometre-long section in the lower stretch of the river below the region of Old within the framework of another EEOP-financed project, which is currently already in progress. This 850 million HUF development will be completed this summer.
The biggest flood wave ever experienced along the River Dráva hit the region in July 1972, which, according to the gauge at Barcs, peaked at 618 centimetres. Flood protection embankments were not constructed along the entire stretch back then, which is why emergency dykes had to be built along a 12-kilometre stretch and incredible efforts were made to stop these from bursting. The most serious flood damages occurred in the region in 1966 when the dyke at Felsőszentmárton burst causing the water to overflow. Flood waves approaching the levels recorded during the 1970s have not been experienced along this river over the past few years; the flood of 2005 was the most serious recent flood event, during which period a second degree alert was issued and the river peaked at 487 centimetres. The flood protection embankment in place at present was built between 1972 and 1987.