This EU funded project with the total budget of 2 Million Euro supports the poverty alleviation and enhancement of national economic development through reduction of flood damages.
PRESS RELEASE
13th February 2012
Head of Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia, H.E. Ambassador Vincent Degert and the Minister of Agriculture, Trade, Forestry and Water Management, Mr Dusan Petrovic, presented last week the EU funded project Study of Flood Prone Areas in Serbia (SoFPAS) – Phase 1 that provides technical assistance to the Serbian water management sector in harmonisation of its policies with the European Flood Directive and Water Framework Directive, as well as introducing a new principle “living with floods” in Serbia.
The specific objectives of the project are production of a high resolution flood hazard and flood risk maps that will serve as a “management tool for flood protection and spatial planning” in future years.
Effective flood prevention and mitigation works require close cooperation and coordination between the EU member and non-member states in the same watershed areas. Promotion of the sustainable flood risk management measures and best practices, linked with environmental protection, low impact development and sustainable land use planning, will deliver multiple benefits to the Serbian competent authorities dealing with flood prevention, protection and mitigation of harmful flood impacts.
The project covers the flood prone areas on the left and right side of the Danube River between Belgrade municipality Zemun and the upstream end of the Iron Gate gorge, as well as the flood prone areas on the larger rivers in the Velika Morava River Basin.
The main project users are the Ministry of Agriculture, Trade, Forestry and Water Management; other responsible ministries included into flood prevention, protection or mitigation; competent regional and local authorities, as well as technical and civil protection services.
The project will deliver multiple benefits not only to the main users but also to the public by increasing awareness and informing Serbian competent authorities about flood risk and how to adequately deal with it. New flood management instruments will be promoted in order to help in the broad and gradual implementation of non-structural flood protection measures like long term sustainable spatial planning, low impact development, as well as the establishment of real-time warning system. Monitoring of the services provided to the poor population, especially in a rural and semi-urban areas, will help to further define the plans for flood risk management and harmonize spatial planning. Such efforts will contribute towards the poverty alleviation and enhancement of the economic development of the country through reduction of flood damages, as well as attainment of Environmental Millennium Development Goals.
The following services will be made available throughout different stages of the project: Methodology of flood mapping in Serbia and in line with EU policies; Inventory Study of data used for the project; flood hazard and risk maps; data collection and flood maps stored into Water Management Information System (WMIS); a pilot case integration of flood risk information in local/regional spatial plan to optimize decision-making when taking tnecessary precautions in future development and infrastructure projects planning; capacity building: transfer of know-how, long term concept for use and regular 6-year updates of the flood maps and training programmes.
The project is implemented by Spanish consultancy and engineering company EPTISA Servicios de Ingenieria S.L.
For further information, please contact: Ms. Milka Tesevic, Project Assistant, mtesevic@eptisa.com