Stability and change of flood risk governance in Poland

Abstract

In Poland floods are the predominant natural disasters entailing large losses. In the paper it is presented how flood risk management is organized in Poland, and how the approaches to flood risk in the country evolve. The focus is on organisation of flood risk management. Public policies and activities of public administration are analysed. Based on data collected within the EU 7th Framework Project STAR-FLOOD, the description of the Polish Flood Risk Management Strategies and Governance arrangements is provided. Next, the dynamics of the Polish flood risk management strategies and governance arrangements and evaluation of arrangements are presented. The reliance on structural defence is indicated, as a stable component of the floor risk management. Also main factors triggering changes and four main turning points opening windows of opportunity for Polish flood management system are identified: two of them are related to socio-political development and two to flood event. The Polish flood risk management system has experienced changes (i.e. establishment of a new crisis management system), while preserving its core functional characteristics at the same time (reliance on structural defence). Sectorial management with little coordination at the level of ministries renders the flood risk management in Poland being more like bargain and competition than collaborative and consensus-driven type of governance. The Polish Flood Risk Governance Arrangement is characterised as having a strong capacity to buffer shock events, as shown by the major 1997 and 2010 floods. An overall weakness of the Polish Arrangement is the lack of coordination and strategic management. Problems with effective spatial planning and a highly fragmented actors structure both within and between sub-arrangements are the main challenges for the Polish flood risk management.