Executive Summery. Study on the Development of the Flood Control System in the Central Sava Basin

Transcription

1 Executive Summery Study on the Development of the Flood Control System in the Central Sava Basin 1

2 Contents of the executive summery I SUMMARY...4 A. RESULTS... 4 B. SCHEME OF THE EA... 5 II THE POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK... 6 A. INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS AND STRATEGIES... 6 B. THE NATIONAL LEGAL FRAMEWORK III CURRENT DEVELOPMENT OF THE FLOOD-CONTROL SYSTEM AND ITS CONTINUATION A. HISTORY OF THE SAVA FLOOD CONTROL BEFORE B. REGULATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE SAVA RIVER C. A PHASE OF CONSTRAINED ACTION, CAUSED BY WAR AND POLITICAL CHANGES D. PHASE II: DEVELOPMENT OF THE CENTRAL SAVA BASIN FLOOD-CONTROL SYSTEM E. PHASE III: THE FINAL FLOOD CONTROL SYSTEM IV THE STUDY AREA A. THE LOCATION AND SIZE OF THE STUDY AREA B. THE LANDSCAPE OF THE CENTRAL SAVA BASIN C. THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT D. A DESCRIPTION OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS E. LAND-USE F. THE BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT G. EVALUATION OF THE AREA V ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS A. FIRST PHASE OF THE FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT: B. LACK PHASE CAUSED BY WAR AND POLITICAL CHANGE): C. PHASE II: PROPOSED PRIORITY WORKS SINGLE MEASURES D. P HASE III: FINAL DESIGN VI ALTERNATIVES: CSB PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION PROJECT A. LEGAL FRAME WORK B. CULTURAL HERITAGE C. PRESERVATION OF FLOOD PLAINS FOR FLOOD PROTECTION D. RESERVATION OF LAND FOR RESTORATION E. FORMER FLOODPLAINS PROPOSED FOR ECOLOGICAL FLOODING F. EXCAVATION OF MATERIAL: NEW WETLAND SITES G. CONNECTIVITY: RESTORATION OF RIVER CORRIDORS H. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION I. ECONOMIC ANALYSES AND VIABILITY J. OVERVIEW ON THE IMPACT ANALYSES ON THE CSB VII MITIGATION: CSB FLOODPLAIN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME A. INTEGRATED CENTRAL SAVA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME B. ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMME

3 C. TRAFFIC VIII ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND TRAINING A. ROLE AND CAPABILITY OF ENVIRONMENTAL UNITS B. TRAINING C. RECOMMENDATIONS IX MONITORING AND SUPERVISION PLAN A. GENERAL PROBLEMS OF THE ACTUAL MONITORING B. DIGITAL ELEVATION MODEL (DEM) DIGITAL TERRAIN MODEL (DTM) C. MONITORING CENTRE D. IMPORTANT MEASUREMENTS X APPENDIX X - XIII

4 I Summary Chapter I gives an executive summary of the study, points out the main results of the EA, reviews the contents of the different chapters and provides a scheme of the EA. A. Results The basic idea of the Flood Control System for Central Sava Basin to store the floods in the natural inundation areas is good and fulfils international criteria for catchment area management. The system proved to be very effective during the last years and protected important towns as Zagreb and Sisak and large agricultural areas from floods. About 40 % of the flood control system was built before the war started in 1990, leaving large alluvial wetlands unregulated. The study area is a key site not only for Croatia, but for the whole Sava Basin. It has to store water from the upper catchment area including Slovenia and to prevent flooding of large meliorated areas downstream, which are partly in Bosnia Herzegovina and in Yugoslavia. The effect on the lower Danube has not been evaluated. With ha it is the largest floodplain ecosystem in the Danube River Basin (DPRP 1999) and an important nutrient sink for the upper Sava and large industrial zones (Zagreb, Sisak and in Slovenia) and agricultural areas. The original project design for the flood control system, as documented by U.N. (Consortium 1972), would lead to a loss of alluvial habitats, and will endanger the use and non-use value of the area. The proposed water works to be financed by the World Bank are a part of this final solution. The EA comes to the conclusion, that the original design of the Flood Control System for the Central Sava River Basin would have a negative impact on the environment and has to be changed. The area affected by the proposed project is internationally known as Sava Wetlands, Turopolje and Pokupsko Depression (Important Birds Areas, Grimmet & Jones 1989). The area is unique concerning the cultural landscape and the forest ecosystems (Nature Park Lonjsko Polje 1999). It is partly protected and nominated as Ramsar Site (Nature Park Lonjsko Polje, fish ponds Crna Mlaka), and a focus region described in the Strategic Action Plan for the Danube River Basin and Pan-European Landscape and Biodiversity Strategy. The EA did review the first phase of the implementation of the Flood Control System. About two thirds of the alluvial wetlands are still preserved offering ideal condition to establish an Integrated Central Sava Basin (CSB) Programme, which can serve as a model for floodplain preservation and flood control in Europe and world wide. A CSB Restoration project is proposed to improve the actual situation and restore parts of the alluvial wetlands. In addition a CSB Development Programme has been outline to mitigate the impact of the first phase and to stimulate the preservation and development of the natural and cultural heritage of the important region in the heart of Croatia. To develop the new approach training programmes, better monitoring, a digital terrain model 4

5 and design costs are needed. First analyses show, that larger retention areas and storage capacities can avoid unfavourable changes in the water regime and preserve the connectivity of the alluvial ecosystem. Thanks to the Japanese Grant from the World Bank, important basic materials for the space planning in Croatia could be prepared. The collected data and the GIS are not only important to develop the new approach for the preservation restoration of the Central Sava River Basin (Integrated Central Sava Basin Programme). The EA also provides basic information important for the Ministry of Culture (preparation of the World Heritage Nomination for the Nature Park Lonjsko Polje), the State Directorate for the Protection of Nature and Environment, now Ministry for Physical Planning and Environment (Implementation of the Biodiversity Strategy financed by GEF, mapping of wetlands of international importance, Programme for Space Planning) and the State Directorate for Water (Danube Pollution Reduction Programme). Summary (I) B. Scheme of the EA Baseline data (II, III, IV) Analyses (V) Political Framework History of Flood a) Analyses Environmental Impact Assessment Description of the Values of the Study Integrated Central Sava Basin (CBS) Programme (VI, VII, VIII, IX) Alternative: CSB Restoration Programme Mitigation: CSB Floodplain Development CBS Monitoring Programme Environment al Training Financial Resources WB Loan WB Loan WB Loan GEF GEF EPDRB 5

6 II The Policy, Legal and Administrative Framework Chapter II provides guidance through the national and international legal and administrative framework. Croatia has accepted the most important international conventions or prepares to ratify them. The study area is international well known and one of the most important wetlands in Europe. In contrary to the international registration only a part of the alluvial plain, the Nature Park Lonjsko Polje and one of the fishponds, Crna Mlaka, is recognised as protected areas. A. International Conventions and Strategies The Sava Flood Control project for the catchment area was designed in 1972 (Consortium 1972, see III). To review the project it is important to review the political framework: this has changed significantly, due to the radical political changes and Croatia s active participation in regional and global initiatives to preserve our common environment (Republika Hrvatska 1992, 1997, 1998). Croatia ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity in With help of GEF funds the National Biodiversity Strategy was developed and published in As regards the Sava Flood Control Project, it is important that human activities should not reduce biological diversity; that where there is a threat of significant loss, measures to avoid or minimise such threats should not be postponed; and that the in-situ conservation of ecosystems, natural habitats and species domestic or wild - is the fundamental requirement for the conservation of the region s biological diversity. The riverine cultural landscapes of the Sava and Kupa rivers have developed from the close and traditional dependence of the local communities on biological resources, in traditional life-style patterns which must be acknowledged. The insitu conservation envisages the establishment of a system of protected areas, where special measures must be taken to conserve biological diversity. Croatia designated four of sites for inclusion in the List of Wetlands of International Importance under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971: Crna Mlaka, Lonjsko Polje, Kopacki rit and Neretva. The first two sites are included in the area of the Environmental Assessment (EA). For the purposes of the Convention, wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing (Article 1). Alluvial wetlands, inundations and all temporarily flooded lands in the area of the EA are wetlands according to Ramsar definitions, thus are covered by the Convention. The wise use of these wetlands is their sustainable utilisation for the benefit of humankind, in a way compatible with the maintenance of the natural properties of the ecosystem (Ramsar Information Paper no. 7 Although Croatia is not yet a member of the EU, it will become a member in the near future. The EU Water Framework Directive is envisaged as the general basis for water management across the continent. The (draft) Water Framework Directive of the European Union is intended to provide a structure for the further development of all aspects of water 6

7 policy in Europe. It acknowledges the need for an integrated transboundary co-operation in water management; integrating the protection and management of aquatic ecosystems and those terrestrial ecosystems directly dependent on aquatic ecosystems; but also integrating land-use planning and water resource management. The EU Bird Directive is the longest-established law in the European Union concerned with the protection of nature. It is based on the European Red Data Book list for birds and the numerical criteria for waterfowl have been developed in connection with the Ramsar Convention. These standards have already been used by Birdlife International, during their first survey in Europe, to map and classify all the Important Bird Areas of the continent (Grimmett and Jones 1989). In the EU and those countries in transition, these areas are transferred into the network of protected areas known as Natura In the Middle Sava Region all of the alluvial wetlands and inundation areas have been clearly recognised as Important Bird Areas: 007 Pokupsko Depression *(Croatia): 45 o o 42 N, 15 o o 50 E c ha including the fish-ponds of Crna Mlaka 625 ha, Draganici 363 ha and Pisarovina 355 ha 009 Turopolje **(Croatia): 45 o o 30 N, 16 o o 15 E c ha 010 Sava Wetlands ***(Croatia): 45 o 30 N, 17 o 00 E ha Please note: * The Kupcina retention area is a part of the Pokupsko Depression at the Kupa ** Turopolje is a part of the inundation area Odransko Polje at the Odra River *** The Sava Wetlands cover several retention areas as Zutica, Lonjsko Polje, Opeka, Tirstik, Morko Poje and Ribarsko Polje including Zelenik To support the protection of transboundary watercourses in Europe, the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (UN/ECE 1992, NN V,4 1996) was drawn up under the auspices of the Economic Commission for Europe and adopted in Helsinki in In September 1991, the Danubian countries, together with the international funding organisations, G-24 countries and non-governmental organisations, decided to launch the Environmental Programme for the Danube River Basin (EPDRB). The objective of the EBDRB is to establish an operational and trans-national basis for strategic and integrated environmental management for the region. On the basis of this Convention, Croatia has signed the Danube Convention and bilateral agreements with Slovenia (NN 1997 VI, 10) and Bosnia-Herzegovina (NN 1996, V, 1/12). The aim of the Danube River Protection Convention is the sustained protection and improvement of the Danube River and the waters within its catchment area. Of particular importance are the transboundary context and the sustainable management of water resources, taking due account of the interests of the Danubian States in terms of water use. The Contracting Parties shall strive to achieve the goals of a sustainable and equitable water 7

8 management, including the conservation, improvement and rational use of surface waters and groundwater in the catchment area, as far as is possible ( 2, 1). They shall co-operate on fundamental water-management issues and improve the current environmental and waterquality conditions of the Danube River and the waters in the catchment area. They will also prevent and reduce, as far as is possible, adverse impacts and changes, occurring or likely to be caused ( 1,2). This objective in particular is directed to ensure the sustainable use of water resources as well as the conservation and restoration of ecosystems; also to cover other requirements which might occur regarding public health ( 2,3). Activities and measures which involve the construction of water-controlling structures shall be planned subject to the Convention: in particular regulation, runoff and the storage-level of water courses; flood control and ice-hazard abatement; and the effects of facilities situated in or beside the watercourse and within its hydraulic regime ( 3,2b). The Contracting Parties shall evaluate the importance of the different biotope elements in the riverine ecology and propose measures for improving aquatic and littoral ecological conditions ( 6e). Ministers for the Environment and for Water from the Danubian Countries, and the Members of the European Commission responsible for the Environment, endorsed the Strategic Action Plan in the Ministerial Declaration of Bucharest, on December 6, 1994 (EPDRB 1994.Wetland areas provide a number of services (4.7 Wetlands/19., page 69) to the economy and to river ecosystems. Forests, wet meadows and fishponds (artificial, but supporting diverse fauna and flora) appear to have been the most severely affected wetland habitats. The few remaining natural forests are of outstanding importance and their careful management is vital. Nonetheless, the Danube basin s natural and semi-natural wetland ecosystems and their species populations have a pan-european, and in some cases global, importance. Wetlands that have gained special international recognition include beside three others (4.7 Wetlands/21.): Those along the Drava and Sava rivers in Croatia. These ecosystems include floodplains, flooded forests, reed-patch forests, marshes, lakes, reservoirs and fishponds. In the table 2.1 (page 25) following important measures inside the area of the EA are reported: Name of site Area and main habitat Action required Sava * ha alluvial wetlands Ecological and socio/ecological studies, plans for sustainable rural development, cost ECU 2 million Turopolje ** ha flood-prone area Rural development and ecological studies, management plans, cost ECU Please note: * The Sava Wetlands cover several retention areas as Zutica, Lonjsko Polje, Opeka, Tirstik, Morko Poje and Ribarsko Polje including Zelenik ** Turopolje is a part of the inundation area Odransko Polje at the Odra River The National Review for Croatia (1998) clearly indicates the successful work of the international programme for the Danube River Basin. The National Reviews were designed to produce basic data and information for the elaboration of the Pollution Reduction Programme, 8

9 the Transboundary Analysis and the revision of the Strategic Action Plan. Both the State Directorate for Water and the State Directorate for Nature and Environment participated in the collection and publication of data. The National Review describes some improvements in water-quality and gives a list of pollution hot spots, several of which are in the area of the Environmental Assessment (Zagreb, Sisak, Kutina, Petrinja, Karlovac). In contrast with the clarity of the information on water pollution, floodplains (4.4.4) and wetlands (4.4.5) are not properly described in the National Report (Technical Reports, Part C and D, page 54). The size of the remaining flooded area is not stated and the most important areas, such as Turopolje, are not mentioned: only the planned retention capacity of million m 3 is referred to. Those wetlands described are the Nature Park Lonjsko Polje, ha; and the Nature Park Kopacki Rit, 17,700 ha. There is no reference to the fact that most wetland habitats in Croatia have not yet been evaluated nor protected (see below). The Evaluation of Wetlands and Floodplain Areas in the Danube River Basin study was prepared within the frame of the Danube Pollution Reduction Programme. The study has been undertaken to define priority wetland and floodplain rehabilitation sites as a component of the Pollution Reduction Programme (DPRP - PCU UNDP/GEF 1999). The study describes the loss of alluvial habitats along the Danube and its main tributaries. The evaluation study describes the existing alluvial wetlands and recommends 17 areas for restoration, in order to help improve the water-quality of the Danube. The lower part of the Central Sava River Basin, Morko Polje, is one of these sites: the study proposes that an area of hectares be restored. Turopolje and Lonjsko Polje are flagged as special sites for restoration because they are considered special problem areas, due to the existing and proposed flood-control schemes. The map The Ecological Potential of Floodplains in the Danube River Basin shows that the Central Sava Basin and the Drava-Danube triangle (Branja) still contain the largest floodplains with good possibilities for their restoration. The Sava river system is one of the focus regions described in the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Strategy (European Council) (p. 43), that play an important role in maintaining the biological diversity of the biogeographical regions. The focus of the Action Plan for river ecosystems and related wetlands (Action Theme 6) is to establish programmes to conserve the few major natural and semi-natural rivers, with well-developed natural elements, which still exist in Europe. The Programme International Nature Management from the Dutch government supported the implementation of the Pan-European Strategy and the protection of the Sava Wetlands (Park Prirode Lonjsko Polje 1999). The World Conservation Union (IUCN) chose seven areas as case studies for Best practices for Conservation in Rural Areas in The mandate for the study was given by the Task Force for the implementation of the Environmental Action Programme (EAP) for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE. According to the IUCN study, the Nature Park Lonjsko Polje is an outstanding example of a floodplain ecosystem which has been created by the interaction with long-standing agricultural practices and maintained by flood-control measures for water retention. It is one of the few surviving examples in Europe of a seminatural floodplain. The survival of this landscape and the biological diversity it contains is dependent upon a pattern of rural development which supports this traditional way of life without denying the local people the benefits of a modern society (IUCN 1995, page 17). The Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo 1991) aim is to prevent, reduce and control significant adverse transboundary environmental impacts from proposed activities. Impact means any effect on the 9

10 environment, including human health and safety, flora, fauna, soil, air, water, climate, landscape, historical monuments or other physical structures, or interaction among these factors; it also includes effects on cultural heritage or socio-economic conditions resulting from alterations to those factors. The Convention also describes in detail the contents of the EIA. The IUCN Parks for Life programme states that, the present status of natural Heritage Sites in Europe is far from adequate (Esping 1997). Although candidates for the World Heritage List (UNESCO) are now rigorously evaluated, there are further protected areas that should be included. The potency and prestige make their inscription a high priority. Sites can be nominated as a Natural Site (i), a Mixed Natural and Cultural Site (ii) or as a Cultural Landscape (iii). The third category is of particular interest for the Central Sava Basin, as very few areas in Europe have been accepted under this category. Research within the framework of the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) has already been carried out, for many years, by the Faculty of Forestry, as part of the scientific programme of UNESCO. The monitoring programme is based on field research in the virgin forest of Prasnik and the forest at Opeke belonging to the Faculty. However, due to the presence of land-mines, research in the forest of Prasnik has been prevented since A Biosphere Reserve has not been established in the Sava Wetlands, but in Croatia the designation of Nature Park enshrines many of the same aims. Biosphere Reserves, according to the UNESCO Nomination form, are areas of terrestrial and coastal/marine ecosystems, or a combination thereof, which are internationally recognised within the framework of UNESCO's Programme on Man and the Biosphere. They are established to promote and demonstrate a balanced relationship between humans and the biosphere. B. The National legal framework Nature in the sense of this Law on Nature Conservation is an important part of the environment, to which the Republic of Croatia will guarantee special protection on the principle of best global practice. The law guarantees rational use without damaging nature or the destruction of habitats. Special protected areas are categorised as, inter alia, nature park, strictly protected reserve and special reserve. The nature park is a large natural or partly cultivated area with expressed aesthetical, ecological, educational, cultural, historical and touristic and recreational values. In the nature park the permitted activities and works shall not threaten its essential properties and role. This Strategy and Action Plan for Biodiversity and Landscape Protection (BSAP) is based on the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Pan European Landscape and Biodiversity Strategy. Important parts of three of the six main ecosystems, which are fundamental to the National Strategy, are situated within the area of the EA: Forests, Wetlands and water and Grassland and plough land. An early priority of the Strategy is to list important wetlands and sites of international importance to be designated according to the Ramsar Convention criteria. Management plans have to be prepared for the already nominated Ramsar Sites of Crna Mlaka and Lonjsko Polje. According to the Water Act, Water is an essential resource for life and human activity and everyone is responsible for protecting its quality. Water shall be managed in accordance with the principles of the integrity of the water system; and those of sustainable development, which meets the needs of the present generation without threatening the rights and possibilities of future generations to meet their own needs ( 6).The planning of water-related 10

11 matters in Croatia is based on integrated water management ( 19). Water-management plans have to be drawn up for areas which have complex problems concerning water-use, waterprotection, the regulation of water-courses and other bodies, and protection from water ( 21) The planning basis - the Master Plan for Water-Management in Croatia - has not yet been prepared ( 18). Water-bearing and abandoned channels of inland water bodies, regulated inundation zones, unregulated inundation zones and islands are all included in the water estate ( 57). The water estate is the estate of interest to the Republic of Croatia enjoying is particular protection. The water estate shall serve the purpose of maintenance and improvement of the water regime, inter alia, for the implementation of protective measures against any adverse effects of water ( 59). Everybody will be equally entitled to use the public water estate for rest and recreation, in the manner and to the extent determined by the town or municipal council, subject to the consent of the HV ( 63). For the purposes of technical and economic maintenance of water-courses and other water bodies, and of efficient protection from floods and other harmful effects, the locations of inundation zones on water-courses and other water-bodies shall be determined. In such zones, any activities that may be deleterious to the water regime, or increase the risk of harm from water, shall be prohibited (Article 85). The outer limit of the developed and undeveloped inundation zones on state waters is determined by the State Water Directorate, following their proposal by HV. These zones shall include the land between the channel and the outer edge of the corresponding protective regulation works.the map of inundation-sites to be reserved for flood control has not yet been prepared. The Croatian Water Management Authority Croatian Waters is financed through the state budget and direct fees. The money from the state budget must be used for the administration, water works and management of Croatian waters. Fees have to be paid for the use of water, for hydro-power dams, or as a general contribution to the management of the catchment area. One problem with this law is that Croatian Water is the institution which has to protect waters and water-courses and manage the water estate (compare III.B); however it is directly financed through projects and activities which have negative effects on aquatic ecosystems. These works include the excavation of sand and gravel, the exploitation of water energy, navigation and the melioration of land (land-drainage through sub-surface piping). There is also the paradox that important sites, such as fish-ponds (see Ramsar Convention) and protected areas such as National Parks, have to pay water fees: despite the fact that they are protecting the water estate of the country, or important parts of the catchment area (eg mountain or Karst ecosystems). The State Plan for Water Protection classifies as Category A : very sensitive waters (V.): ground-water, as a drinking-water resource; mountain streams, before the first village; Karst streams, before the first village; and waters in National or Nature Parks. Construction is forbidden or restricted in protected areas such as Nature Parks (VI,c2).The state plan is based mainly on the protection of water-quality, without any acknowledgement that the morphological structure and size of the wetlands is important for their self-purification capacity (compare DPRP 1999). In 1997 the Strategy for Space-Planning was published, and in 1999 the Programme for Space-Planning (Republika Hrvatska 1997, 1999). Flood control in the Sava Basin is a priority in the Programme for Space-Planning (Republika Hrvatska 1999, page 24):A very important point concerning this EA is that the inundation-zones are not defined in the space- 11

12 planning programme. They are not mentioned in the detailed aspects, for example as areas with development limitations, for which special development and incentive measures, and particular development models, are needed (compare map 02, 1999 demographic endangered areas). Neither are the floodplains and inundation areas declared as areas with opportunities for developing tourism, perhaps because they were given no special treatment in the space-planning process (map 18, 1999). It is also important to mention that the area of the EA lies on the transport-corridor, which connects Western and Central Europe with Southeastern Europe, as well as Central Europe and the Danubian Plain with the Mediterranean. A new railway is planned through the retention basin of Lonjsko Polje (map 07, 1999). In the map of the Natural Heritage of Croatia (map 20, 1999) the floodplains are not delineated, apart from the Nature Park Lonjsko Polje ( ha), founded in An increase is envisaged in the area of land protected for nature, bringing the total to approximately 15% of the State territory; however, this will be through different categories of protection, adapted to the actual features and circumstances of each site. In this context, it is important to mention that the river corridors between the inundation areas of the Sava (Posavina) and the Kupa (Kupcina), and between the lowland areas and the karst ecosystem, are planned to be protected areas (Protected Landscapes and one Nature Park). This is a good example of a long-term preservation concept for riverine ecosystems. According to the Law on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), EIAs have to be prepared, not only for the measures defined through this regulation (popis zahvata), but for all reconstruction measures without an EIA, or if an increase in size of 30 % or more is planned ( 3). The EIA has to describe the impact both during and after construction: monitoring programmes are needed for environmental evaluation during both phases (( 5).A big problem in Croatia is that the same firm can plan a project and elaborate the EIA for the same project. It is very unlikely that the planner and constructor will themselves find better alternatives during the process of the EA, thus alternatives, or even null-variants, are difficult to obtain. The new Government of Croatia has formed a Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning. The State Directorate for the Protection of Nature and the Environment became a part of this new ministry. At the moment (February 24, 2000) it is no clear, if also the State Directorate for Waters (Danube Convention and Helsinki Convention) might become a department of the new ministry. III Current development of the flood-control system and its continuation Chapter III describes the existing and continuation of flood control system development. The project is based on an international study for former Yugoslavia with the assistance of the U.N A. History of the Sava Flood Control before 1972 The lowland areas along the Sava have always been exposed to the hazards of flooding and the consequent economic losses, often huge; as a result flood-protection measures were begun long ago. The first, partial, solutions are over two hundred years old, but major works were started in the late 19 th century. Vujasinovic (1971) comes to the conclusion that the problems are particularly complex as a result of the specific hydrological relationships in the extreme western part of the valley, the area known as Gornje Poavlje. This region of approximately 12

13 250,000 hectares remains in much the same condition as it was two hundred years ago, exposed to uncontrolled flooding over areas of potential agricultural value. B. Regulation and Management of the Sava River The flood of 1964 was a turning point in the whole approach towards flood-protection, due to the widespread flood-damage, especially in Zagreb. This initiated intensive planning and design of the flood-protection system: numerous studies and designs were developed, defining the main guidelines for the construction of flood-control works and measures.the Study for Regulation and Management of the Sava River in Yugoslavia was prepared by a consortium of consulting engineers (Polytechna-Hydroprojekt-Carlo Lotti & C. Prag-Roma) in cooperation with the U.N. and representatives of the Yugoslav counterpart in all republics (Consortium 1972, 21 volumes). The study was based on several projects, which have been prepared before and partly started (e.g. Srebrenovic 1967, 1969). The study concludes, quite clearly, that inundation areas will be only preserved as retention areas within the Central Sava Basin, in the territory of the Republic of Croatia (this is the area of the EA, see below). All of the other republics which are today sovereign states - were able to prevent the establishment of such areas on their territories (Map 6 2). The major aim of the overall project was to reclaim as much agricultural land as possible - an area of hectares was projected - and to reduce the inundation areas as much as possible. In the whole study, the economic and ecological value of the lowland forests, over 200,000 hectares in area, (Horvat, Glavac & Ellenberg 1974) were ignored. Forests are only mentioned very generally, and not at all in terms of lowland stands, in the volume C/V Agriculture (Consortium 1972). The whole documentation lacks any assessment of the biodiversity in the catchment area of the Sava River and the impacts upon it from the planned construction works. Neither the impact of the proposed measures on the private agricultural sector was not assessed (Vol. C/V Agriculture in Consortium 1972, page ). The plan for a multipurpose hydro-power solution in the Middle Posavlje (i) Map Prilog 4 or page 62 (black and white) from Direkcija 1975 The concept began with the requirements that flood-control should be solved in a complex, varied, manner over a broad area, and that protection of specific sections should not adversely affect places further downstream on the Sava. Any negative effects of protection must be eliminated by the construction of facilities which would reduce the flood-peak and accept excess water. The size of the system was dictated by the need to provide protection from those catastrophic floods likely to occur only once in 100 years; towns such as Zagreb, Sisak and Karlovac had to be safe against even larger floods, with a 1000-year interval. The calculations showed the required capacities of such flood-storage reservoirs, and they were given their final contours by the construction of dykes. Thus, the entire project is a combination of the construction of large storage areas to retain the excess flood water which the Sava cannot accept, and conventional works - the construction of dykes and regulation of the river channel. Table EAIIIB2a Operation of the system was achieved through controlling a number of facilities: precise 13

14 instructions had been worked out for their use, depending on the overall situation in the entire system. The operation measures allow for optimal use of all capacities and maximum benefits to the protected areas. Implementation of the Central Sava Basin Flood Control System is a very large, very difficult and highly expensive task. Therefore the implementation was planned to be carried out in phases, according to the following criteria: The primary concern is to protect the settlements, towns and infrastructure directly exposed to flooding by the Sava and its tributaries. The proposed works should not result in any deterioration of the present flood-regime down stream. The plan for the gradual construction of flood-control facilities must ensure that agricultural production will not be threatened. The natural flood-storage capacity has been increased by the partly-constructed Odra, Lonja- Strug and Kupa-Kupa canals; by the control facilities at Jankomir, Prevlaka and Trebe`; and the natural and constructed flood-storage reservoirs of Lonjsko Polje and Mokro Polje. This has produced a positive impact on the flood regime. The completed works give protection to the important parts of the river valley, in particular the cities; they allow a degree of control of the flood-regimes of the Sava and its tributaries, and the utilisation of significant agricultural areas. Protection of a part of Lonjsko Polje - Crnec Polje - from floods, and subsequent hydrotechnical amelioration works, has yielded an area of 46,000 hectares for intensive agriculture. The value of all those flood-control works completed so far is approximately 40 percent of the total investment cost. The improvement of the flood-control facilities and their operation, in the area around Zagreb, were proved justified during the Sava floods of November In that year, the flood-wave exceeded the disastrous flood-wave of While the 1964 flood caused enormous material damage to the city and loss of life, in 1990 the flood in the completed part of the system neither endangered human lives, nor resulted in any serious damage. The flood wave also moved downstream from Zagreb without causing any considerable damage. C. A Phase of Constrained Action, caused by War and Political Changes Since the political changes of 1990, Croatia has continued to implement the project. All documents from the space plans (land-use planning) of 1974 and 1989 have been transferred to the new legislation and space-planning authority of the country. In contrast with the earlier situation, Croatia is now responsible for storing water for, and from, other countries: Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Yugoslavia. The solution which was proposed in 1972 by the U.N. (Consortium) for the former Yugoslavia now has to be fulfilled by just one member of the former federation. The key question, how to store the floodwaters of the Sava, has to be solved in Croatia, because the restoration of the floodplain further downstream would be much more difficult. Under the Helsinki and the Danube Conventions, a new international approach towards the Sava is now necessary. The first proposals for the restoration of alluvial wetlands as retention areas have already been prepared under the Danube Convention (DPRP 1999). 14

15 The large part of the region covered by this Project (the central Sava River basin) was the place of war operations (approx. 25% of the region was occupied), with the front-line extending through a large area of the Sava sub-basin, namely along the Sava River (Lonjsko polje and Mokro polje) and for some time along the Una River (the area of Zelenika, Ribarsko polje), the longest front-line being that on the Kupa River, from Sisak to Karlovac except for a very small part in the Sisak area, whereby the Kupčina River area was included in the war operations, too. The damage on the water-management facilities was a direct damage caused either by war operations and a deliberate destruction intended to make the functioning of the system impossible, or by devastation and taking away of the equipment. In addition to the great importance of these flood-storage reservoirs in the reduction of floodpeaks, it is essential to stress the ecological importance of this area, which is unique within Europe (HV 1999). The protection of those rare, natural, river valleys which still survive has become an important ecological issue. Large riverine floodplains, such as that along the Sava between Zagreb and Gradi{ka, are of particular interest, and there is much concern to preserve examples of this rapidly diminishing natural formation. A part of this area, 50,600 hectares in extent, was established as the Lonjsko Polje Nature Park in 1990 (Nature Park Lonjsko Polje 1999, Schneider-Jacoby & Ern 1990, 1994). Croatia signed several important international conventions and initiated changes in environmental policy (see Chapter II). D. Phase II: Development of the Central Sava Basin Flood-Control System The water works to be financed by the World Bank (HV 1999) are in effect the proposal to continue the construction of the Flood Control System of the Central Sava Basin. The works proposed are but a part of the whole complex system, the implementation of which is an extensive, and financially highly-demanding, task. The flood- control problem was approached in phases, and the completed work represents about 40 per cent of that projected. The positive effects of these works are quite clear, particularly in the protection of those large cities located along the Sava and Kupa rivers; their efficiency has been proved during several extreme flood-events. Development work on the flood-control system must be continued, in order to prevent potential damage and to provide security for the development of the affected areas. Completion of the system requires construction of a large number of facilities, and additional construction is needed on certain critical components. However, this proposal includes those facilities which are expected to be highly effective, as well as protecting several integral areas, without threatening other parts of the system. The proposed works with the highest priority are at two locations along the Sava and one on the Kupa, and embody the following objectives: Development of the Lonjsko Polje storage reservoir to allow a higher degree of floodcontrol in the area; Protection of settlements on the right bank of the Sava between Zagreb and Sisak, Construction of the flood-protection system for the city of Karlovac Final design of the Flood Control System 15

16 E. Phase III: The Final Flood Control System The final design of the Flood Control System is very similar to the original 1972 version. The most important change is that there is no longer a plan to build the Lonja-Strug canal through the inundation zone. The canal is only leading the water inside and outside the retention areas. This canal was a key component of earlier approaches, because peak floods would need only 1.5 days to travel along this canal from Sisak, via the Strelecko to Mackovo downstream the study area (Direkcija 1975, page 12, Fig. 1). IV The study area Chapter IV. explains the dimensions of the study area and describes the relevant physical, biological and socio-economic conditions. At the end of the chapter a framework is given, how the total economic value of the alluvial wetlands can be assessed. The value of the inundation areas is very high concerning flood control, forestry, biodiversity and cultural heritage (villages, landscape). It is a unique area in Europe. The chapter describes in general the resources, assets and characteristics of the Central Sava Basin: it is a first attempt to summarise the economic, natural and cultural values of the area. It is an important step in reviewing the old design of the Central Sava Flood Control Project, because in that extensive documentation (Consortium 1972), several aspects, such as natural heritage, cultural heritage, the value of floodplains and alluvial forests, were neglected. This chapter also provides a first review of the research carried out over the last 15 years, since the project began. The value of floodplains has at last become recognised and there is now some information available on the assessment of ecological and cultural resources. Also international policies have changed, and particularly within the scope of the Danube River Basin Programme, new strategies for river management have been established. A. The location and size of the study area The study area is situated in the centre of Croatia. It covers xxx hectares or xxx % of the landsurface of the whole country. Four large cities, Zagreb, the capital (776,000 inhabitants), with Velika Gorica (32,000), Sisak (46,000) and Karlovac (60,000), form a triangle around the western part of the area. About one-and-a-half million inhabitants live close to the large floodplains in the middle of the country. The main traffic corridors, which are not only internal but also international routes, form the northern and western borders of the study area. 16 (i) The location within the Sava River Basin The Sava river, which runs through Croatia for 510 km, is the largest river in the country, and has a complex economic, ecological and social importance (HV 1999). The total catchment area of the Sava as far as its confluence with the Danube is 95,419 km 2 and the length of the watershed is 2,255 km. The total length of the Sava from its source to the Danube is 950 km. It constitutes the border with Slovenia for 2 km, and with Bosnia and Herzegovina for 311 km.out of the total catchment area of the Sava, 25,100 km 2 lie within the Republic of Croatia, comprising 44 per cent of the entire national territory of 56,538 km 2. The gradient of the Sava may be divided into 4 characteristic sections:from Jesenice to Podsused , from

17 Podsused to Rugvica , from Rugvica to Sisak , downstream from Sisak The most important tributary is the Kupa river, with its catchment area of 10,032 km 2, which enters the Sava at Sisak. Like the Sava, the Kupa also forms, in part, the border with the Republic of Slovenia. The river-bed gradient of the Kupa from Karlovac to the Sava (about 135 km) is B. The landscape of the Central Sava Basin The size of the inundated areas depends on the water level in the Sava and its tributaries. Before the flood-control programme started in the region, an area of 280,000 hectares was flooded every 50 years (at 2 % frequency, Direkcija 1975); 205,000 hectares are flooded in average annually. The current situation results from the flood-control system as already established. 38 % of the floodplain has been excluded from the inundation zones; thus in the Central Sava Basin in Croatia there remains 1,112 km 2 of alluvial wetlands, directly flooded by the main rivers of the system of tributaries which flow parallel to the Sava. The vegetation cover of the inundation areas is about 61 % forest ecosystems, 20 % grassland ecosystems, 9 % cultivated fields and 10 % bocage (hedgerow landscape), ie, mixed parcels of grassland and small fields. This data has been compiled from satellite images by Kusan (Sector study Forest). The inundated areas are the largest in the Danube River basin, constituting some 13 % of the remaining floodplains along the Danube and its larger tributaries (DPRP 1999). The most important landscape-characteristic of the Central Sava Basin is the mosaic of typical floodplain-type natural forms and the cultural landscapes of the traditional land-use patterns particular to the valleys of Central Europe (Schneider-Jacoby & Ern 1990, 1994). Among the natural landscape forms, large flooded areas and many alluvial biotopes can be still found in the countryside. The natural composition and morphology of a landscape area can still be determined, also how natural riverine landscapes gradually become changed into cultural landscapes. Different stages of development can be discerned, e.g. between Lonjsko and Mokro Polje. In Lonjsko Polje, less forest survived the pastoralism of the last few centuries than in Mokro Polje, where a much more natural and less-exploited landscape has survived, similar to the already strictly-protected Kopacki Rit. Also in the Kupcina depression, Ribarsko Polje and Odransko Polje, the heart of the inundation-zone, are still forested. From the river towards the depression, the typical landscape changes, reflecting the duration, height and frequency of floods and how the traditional land-use was adapted to local conditions. The highest elevations are close to the Sava and Kupa rivers, where sedimentdeposition has caused the banks to rise as a natural levee: this provided the best sites for housing in the larger inundated areas. Behind the houses, orchards and small fields occupied the seldom-flooded, driest, areas a narrow strip along the lowland river known as greda in Croatian; this is also the name of one of the best-preserved villages. A form of land-use less demanding of dry ground is the hay meadow, which can be regularly flooded in spring and autumn, but has to be dry in summer (Schneider-Jacoby 1993). The large pastures and marshy depressions function in even wetter conditions. The most important natural elements in the Central Sava basin are the different kinds of water-bodies. The rivers vary from rapidly flowing mountain streams such as the Una, Dobra and Kupa, to rivers such as the Mreznica and Korana with have travertine barriers, to the 17

18 different forms of lowland river with large meanders and oxbows. The Sava from the Slovenian border downstream to Rugvica is a typical braided river with islands, but then due to the gradient being ten times less steep changes into a meandering river with natural levees. Large parts of the flooded depression are natural marshes or forests at an early stage of succession. The pastures, as a culturally-formed landscape element, are very similar to natural areas which have been grazed by wild herbivorous mammals. Red deer can still be seen at the forest-openings in Mokro Polje, during the winter replacing the cattle which graze there in other seasons (Schneider-Jacoby 1993). Meadows and hedgerow landscape still cover a large percentage of the countryside. Most of the floodplains are still forest-covered, highly typical of Central Europe before its riverine lowlands underwent extensive human conversion. The forests are now managed; they are composed mostly of autochthonous tree-species and host a great variety of animals and plants. Fishponds constitute a new kind of water-feature the oldest being Crna Mlaka, now 100 years old; the large meliorated fields are another innovation. Also the towns have spread ever further into the formerly-flooded lowlands (which sometimes still flood today), while the villages have stayed much the same, becoming ever less important than they used to be in earlier times. Fig. xxx: Profile through the Sava Wetlands (Schneider-Jacoby & Ern 1990) C. The Physical Environment 1. Climate The Adriatic (maritime) and the Pannonian (continental) thermic and pluviometric systems become enmeshed in the Sava region. The meteorology is further influenced by the relief of the area, its variations of altitude and form. The typical expression of the maritime regime is maximum precipitation in October and November, with high rainfall; under the continental regime the maximum falls in June, and its quantity of rainfall is less. In general, precipitation increases with altitude and temperature decreases. The average annual precipitation ranges from 550 upto 3000 mm, and the average for the catchment-area is 1085 mm. The average precipitation for the Sava catchment-area as far as the mouth of the Kupa is 1415 mm, and for the Kupa catchment, to its confluence with the Sava, 1315 mm (for the area as far as Karlovac, the average is 1665 mm). Annual temperatures may be illustrated by a regular sinewave, with the maximum in July, the minimum in January. The average temperature in July is around 20 0 C, in January C, and the annual average is C. The average annual humidity is 77% with maxima in July and December. Evapo-transpiration in the Sava area ranges between 520mm and 600 mm per annum (values obtained from empirical procedures). 2. Geology, Geo-hydrology and Seismology The Sava Project geological map is based on the Geologic Chart of the Republic of Croatia, scale 1 : (Institute for Geological Research), and is a compilation of the relevant sheets of the General Geologic Chart, scale 1 : In the geological structure of the investigated area there are two distinctive tectonic belts (M. Herak, 1991): structural complex of the inner Dinarides (Supradinaric) and pre-alpine structural complexes (Pannonian structures). The tectonic pattern is shown according to the Geological Chart of the Republic of Croatia, scale 1 : (Institute for Geological Research). 18