Transboundary Training Workshop Governance and Technology for Flood Risk Reduction: Linking Early Warning to Emergency Management in the Sava River Basin Proceedings Zagreb, Croatia 5-7 December 2017 May 2019 Prepared by: ISRBC Secretariat in cooperation with UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe (Science Unit) within the framework of the I-REACT project (http://www.i-react.eu/) © International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC), 2019 The right of publication in print, electronic and any other form and in any language is reserved by ISRBC. Short extracts from ISRBC publications may be reproduced without authorisation, provided that the complete source is clearly indicated. Editorial correspondence and requests to publish, reproduce or translate this publication in part or in whole should be addressed to: International Sava River Basin Commission Kneza Branimira 29, Zagreb Croatia Tel: +385 1 488 69 60 Fax: +385 1 488 69 86 E-mail: [email protected] Note The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO and ISRBC concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by UNESCO and ISRBC in preference to others of a similar nature, which are not mentioned or advertised. 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Index 4 Abstract 5 Foreword 6 Acknowledgments 7 Introduction 7 1.1 Overall goal and specific objectives 7 1.2 Setting the stage of the workshop 9 Session II Flood risk Governance and Technology for the Sava River Basin 9 2.1 Flood risk management planning in the Sava River Basin – National and transboundary flood risk management planning & measures to enhance flood risk prevention 10 2.2 Flood forecasting system establishment in Slovenia 11 2.3 Establishment of Flood Forecasting and Warning System in the Sava River Basin 13 2.4 Bridging the gap between early warning forecasts and emergency response through real-time communication system 15 Session III Team work and gap analysis 16 3.1 Simulation of a real emergency case – Floods 2014 15 Session IV Emergency response - Operationalising solutions 23 Session V Debriefing and conclusions 23 5.1 Preparation of the session 23 5.2 The business session 23 5.3 Results and outcomes of the business session 26 Recommendations 28 Appendix A – Workshop Agenda 29 Appendix B – List of attendees 31 Appendix C – List of presenters Abstract Foreword Over the last 5 years, South-East Europe been severely hit by extreme flooding events. Major floods in The organizers have decided to publish the proceedings of the workshop to further share the knowledge and 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2015 affected hundreds of thousands of people, causing extensive damage and a practical experiences discussed during the event as well as the insightful recommendations of the participants high casualty toll. The effects of the May 2014 flood event in the Sava River Basin have been so widespread on a topic of extreme importance both for UNESCO and for the International Sava River Basin Commission: and evident that in 2014 the European Commission hosted a Donor’s Conference in Brussels requesting governance and technology for flood management in the Sava River basin. full mobilisation in support of those countries affected by years of devastating floods. One of the follow-up UNESCO and the International Sava River Basin Commission strongly believe that regional and international actions has been a Regional Conference to strengthen policy on flood prevention and flood risk management cooperation is a key instrument to building more resilient societies in any international river basin. The in the Western Balkans. establishment of transboundary and regional regimes for the creation and implementation of legal Along the same lines, in the fall of 2015 UNESCO supported the Regional Workshop on Flood Risk Management frameworks and institutionalised systems for the management of shared resources and common goods, Measures & Links to EU WFD, co-organised with the International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC), and provision of innovative decision support systems and technological tools cannot function without a the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the International Commission for the Protection of the strong cooperation framework among the nations and peoples of the region. This is why the proceedings of Danube River (ICPDR) that explored advances and innovation in flood risk management measures and the December 2017 workshop contained herein are so important: the workshop brought together many key practices. It provided valuable input for the planning and implementation of activities, in particular of a joint players from the Sava River basin, both technical and political, and it proposed tools, methodologies and Flood Forecasting and Warning System in the Sava River Basin (Sava FFWS), currently under development recommendations on how to manage floods that have had a real impact in the lives of the population in the as per article 9 of the Protocol on Flood Protection to the FASRB (The Framework Agreement on the Sava Sava River basin, in a sustainable way. River Basin). We hope that these proceedings, as the workshop itself, will draw the interest of and be useful to many stakeholders This marks an unprecedented attempt to build a shared transboundary regime for floods and drought involved in disaster/flood risk management not only in the Sava River basin but also in other international river risk in the entire Sava River Basin through which several numerical weather prediction hydrological and basins. hydraulic models, data and methods are harmonised along with the real-time observed hydrological and meteorological data. Proceeding from the above, the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, in collaboration with the ISRBC and with the technical support provided by the CIMA Research Foundation and ISMB (Istituto Superiore Mario Boella) from Italy, the Deltares, the Royal HaskoningDHV Ana Luiza Massot Thompson-Flores, Director from the Netherlands, Rescue Directorate from Croatia, as well as by the experts from the Sava River Basin, UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science organised a training workshop titled Governance and Technology for Flood Risk Reduction: Linking early and Culture in Europe warning to emergency management in the Sava River Basin in Zagreb (December 2017). The training workshop aimed to connect early warning alerts with monitoring, response and flood protection actions performed by all responsible institutions. Representatives of Civil Protection, water management and hydro-meteorological services tested different tools and convened on possible strategies necessary to ensure coordination and that precise and reliable information are shared among all stakeholders during Dragan Zeljko, Secretary emergencies. The very positive collaboration during the workshop between hydro-meteorological and water International Sava River Basin Commission agency units, civil protection authorities and professional volunteers was formed the basis for a set of recommendations included in this report. The workshop and this report were undertaken as a contribution from South-East European (SEE) countries to the eighth phase of the International Hydrological Programme of UNESCO, and in particular, its Focal Area 1.1 dedicated to Risk management as adaptation to global changes1. 1 Risk communication and stakeholder participation have emerged in recent years as an integral part of strategies for managing water-related risks. The aim of risk communication is to reduce exposure to risk and build resilience and resistance to hazards by enhancing the public’s perceptions of risks, thus influencing behaviour in response to them. Risk communication is both a means to facilitate the adoption of risk reduction/prevention measures and part of the measures themselves (especially early warning, risk mapping and land planning) and brings social benefits such as capacity building and trust. Finally, involving informed stakeholders (with access to key information) in the various stages of participatory planning will also result in more socially robust and accepted mitigation measures. 4 5 Acknowledgments Introduction The concept, planning and execution of this workshop and the preparation of these proceedings were 1.1 Overall goal and specific objectives national and local governance capacity for disaster/ achieved by the organising committee composed of Science unit’s officers of the UNESCO Regional Bureau The overall goal of the workshop was that of flood risk reduction in the elaboration of sound for Science and Culture in Europe and the ISRBC Secretariat. promoting a multi-stakeholder dialogue, covering governance solution with a sub-regional perspective; The organisers are grateful for the technical support provided by the CIMA Research Foundation and ISMB “the last mile” gap between early warning and Setting up a background for preparing the proposals (Istituto Superiore Mario Boella) from Italy; Deltares, the Royal HaskoningDHV from the Netherlands; the monitoring-response phases in the Flood Risk