“The reservoir acts as a gigantic buffer, controlling floodwaters from the Odra and Nysa rivers. It is a crucial component of the flood protection system on the Odra.”
Czesław Burek, the wójt of Lubomia, dreamt of a future where the residents of Nieboczowy could live free from the constant threat of floods. The village in southwestern Poland suffered greatly during the 1997 flood of the River Odra the worst in the region’s history. With homes destroyed and lives lost, the community was devastated. Burek, whose title refers to his position as the head of a collection of rural villages, vowed to prevent such tragedies from occurring again.
The opportunity came when the Polish government decided to build the large Racibórz Dolny reservoir in the Odra Valley, near the village. This meant Nieboczowy could finally get some relief from the constant flooding that had plagued it for years. However, for the project to happen, the residents faced a significant obstacle: they needed to relocate.
“With streams all around us, sudden floods occur whenever extreme weather strikes,” says Burek. “Staying where we were would mean the end of our village.”
The community established Nowe Nieboczowy. This “New Nieboczowy” went up just a few kilometres from the original village. It was a difficult decision, but when a catastrophic flood struck southwestern Poland in September 2024, it paid off.
The village was unharmed during these floods, thanks to the massive new reservoir. Beyond protecting Nowy Nieboczowy, the reservoir alleviated the impact of the floods for more than 2.5 million residents in three provinces: Silesia, Lower Silesia, and Opolskie.
“We had to wait nearly 19 years, facing many challenges, but ultimately, we found a way to protect our community and preserve our heritage,” says Burek.
A first true test
The Racibórz Dolny reservoir has a capacity of 185 million cubic metres —equivalent to 74 000 Olympic swimming pools—and covers 26 square kilometres. It is the largest flood-control reservoir in Poland. It temporarily holds excess water during periods of heightened flood risk to manage flood surges.
JASPERS, a partnership funded by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank, assisted in the preparation of the Racibórz Dolny reservoir and other flood protection projects along the Odra and Nysa rivers.
Nowe Domy Nieboczowy
The September floods challenged the reservoir with the region’s heaviest recorded floods, even surpassing the historic inundation of 1997 that caused massive damage and affected 600 000 people in Wrocław. Storm Boris unleashed five times the average September rainfall in just four days, causing huge damage across southern Poland.
On 15 September, a Sunday, local authorities activated the reservoir. By midday on Tuesday, it had collected 147.9 million cubic metres of water, nearly 80% of its full capacity. Over the following days, it successfully held back the excess floodwaters. The reservoir’s effectiveness was so well-received that it prompted thousands of grateful reviews on Google Maps for the sacrifice made by the villages that were relocated for its construction.
“It saved the town, Racibórz, where my mother and her parents come from,” says one of the reviews. “I would like to thank the former residents of Ligota Tworkowska and Nieboczowy, or the 240 displaced families.”
Flood protection all over Poland
Recent floods show just how important flood risk management projects are, and the foresight of the Polish government in initiating ambitious flood-protection projects in vulnerable areas across the country, such as Kotlina Kłodzka, Sandomierz, Słubice, Żuławy, and Węzeł Oświęcimski.
“With the support of EU funding we have completed 119 projects focused on climate adaptation, including investments enhancing flood safety, water retention, and the development of threat forecasting and rescue systems in Poland,” says Jarosław Orliński, director at the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Development. “Had these investments not been made, the scale of destruction would have been immense, much larger than what occurred.”
The Racibórz Dolny reservoir was one of these projects. Together with the World Bank and Council of Europe Development Bank, JASPERS supported the development of large scale projects to protect Wrocław from future floods. Project works include:
- deepening, extending, and reinforcing the banks of the Odra
- strengthening several bridges and modernizing locks and weirs
- widening the Odra
- reinforcement the water boulevards in the city centre
- improving existing dykes and constructing new ones upstream and downstream
- creating a new channel to bypass the river flows
- adapting the Widawa River valley to safely channel excess water from the Odra
“We were involved at every step of this big project,” says David Tagg, a senior environmental economist at the European Investment Bank who is part of the JASPERS Advisory team. “From studying if the project was possible and exploring different options to applying for EU funding to looking at the financial and environmental studies, we helped with everything.”
A growing phenomenon
Floods are among the most destructive natural events, and climate change is making them more frequent and severe. Scientists predict that four-day downpours will become at least twice as frequent and 7% more intense. If global temperatures rise by 2°C, these storms could occur about 50% more often.
“We need more projects like these, and existing infrastructure must be expanded and improved, as we’re losing safety margins,” says Eckart Tronnier, who headed the JASPERS Advisory team. “Many times, flood protection infrastructure might just sit there, not really being used. It’s only when a disaster hits that we see just how important it really is in saving life and avoiding comprehensive damage.”
Under a new assignment, the Technical Advisory team is supporting Polish authorities in the identification and prioritisation of new flood risk management projects.
Flood protection projects can breathe new life into cities, too.
“Restaurants and shops gradually appeared in Wroclaw, and the banks transformed into green spaces with cycle paths,” adds Eckart Tronnier. “Hence, water became an asset for the city once again.”
