Integrated Water Management Information System WATMAN

Narrative

The overall objective of the project was to provide an effective tool to the authorities responsible for flood management to limit the damage caused by major hazard events (floods, accidental pollution) in order to protect the population and its assets. At the same time, the project also contributes to the achievement of the objectives of the SOP Environment, priority axis 5 "Development of adequate infrastructure for the prevention of natural hazards in the areas most at risk" - major area of intervention 1 - "Protection against floods through the development of sustainable flood management in the most vulnerable areas" of the 11 river basins. The proposed investments included automatic sensors and complementary equipment for: 89 automated sensor stations to increase dam safety; 233 automated sensor stations for snow cover measurement and hydrometric stations for tributary flows, intakes and diversions; 89 dams equipped with software and hardware for the control and coordination of the operation of hydrotechnical constructions; flood intervention equipment and means, 15 coordination centres and 23 rapid intervention centres, software and hardware equipment at coordination centres; equipment at rapid intervention centres; 51 automated sensor stations for monitoring water quality. As we can see the project include many investments in technics which can be a sign of the modernization, and the authorities and the local population can have benefits from this. The question from the point of view of the environment and the nature protection is, how this project takes in consideration the future investments in the green and blue infrastructure? In Romania the water management still is focusing mainly to the flood protection, this view has to be changed and the environmental considerations in the conditions of the climate change has to be taken more and more in consideration. In future probably many of the actual infrastructure linked to the water courses will be changed (as we can see this tendency in many countries from EU) and we consider that all the projects linked to the water management has to take in consideration this fact.

Financial data

Total: 65 Million EURO, (85% from EU Funds – SOP Environment)

Recommendations

We consider that the water management projects have to take in consideration, beside the flood protection measures, the environmental protection measures and we recommend that in the future similar projects to take in consideration a more balanced approach concerning the technical and Nature Based Solutions.