Press releases
Public deliberations on Flood risk management plan and its Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment, developed in the framework of the project “Riga Against Flood” will last for three more days – until March 17. All persons interested are welcome to acquaint themselves with Flood Risk Management plan for Riga City and its Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment in Riga City Construction Board Customer service centre, Bolderaja library, Jugla library, Sarkandaugava library or visit the web pages: www.rdpad.lv and www.rigapretpludiem.lv.
Within the framework of the project “Riga Against Flood” the Project team has started work on cost-benefit analysis of flood prevention measures. Recommendations for these measures had been made based on the research of flood threat that the capital city faces. Cost-benefit analysis is crucial for the evaluation of flood prevention measures, calculation of construction expenses, comparison of the alternatives and determining economic effectiveness and return, as well as for determining which measures are a priority and therefore should be implemented first. The results of cost-benefit analysis will be included in flood risk management plan for Riga City.
Today, on June 16, 2011, within the framework of the project “Riga Against Flood” final results of flooding risk research and the recommendations for protecting the territory of Riga City against flood were presented. The greatest flood threat to Riga City, especially in the context of climate change, is sea water surges caused by storms (wind surges), as well as sudden and continuous downpours. Flood risks connected with melting snow, in turn, are smaller, as, according to the forecasts, in the future the amount of snow will decrease, but the intensity of rain will increase. Taking into consideration the results of the research, the project team will proceed to the main phase of the projects – the development of Flood risk management plan for Riga City.
Riga City Council City Development Department LIFE+ project “Riga Against Flood” implementation team in cooperation with Education and Information Centre of Riga City is organizing a competition of research works for Riga City comprehensive school students of Forms 10-11. A prize of 200 lats will be awarded to the author of the best research work!
Today Riga City Council Housing and Environment Committee was introduced with the analysis of flood risks, prepared by Housing and Environment Department. The director of the environmental board Askolds Klavins indicates that sea and wind surges in Riga have greater impact than spring spate, which is mostly local in character.
In the next 100 years it is possible that Riga will experience major flood, with the water level exceeding 2.6 metres above the norm. Consequently, vast territories of the city might be covered with water, causing significant threat to the social infrastructure, culture-historical sites and economic activity, as well as resulting in substantial economic loss. This conclusion has been made by the team of scientists working on the project RIGA AGAINST FLOOD”. Within the framework of the project they are conducting flood threat research and preparing forecasts, as well as producing recommendations for the protection of Riga City territory.
Within the framework of the project “RIGA AGAINST FLOOD” Riga City Development Department specialists have visited Antwerp (Belgium), the Hague (the Netherlands) and Hamburg (Germany) to get acquainted with successful flood threat management practices. In the case of flood Antwerp suggests lowering the general water level in the city river, leaving the territories on river banks free from construction and letting them flood regularly. In the Hague the decision not to fight the water has been made – people have accepted water level fluctuations, allocating it some space in the city, redirecting the water in the preferable directions and integrating it in the public space. In Hamburg next to the old part of the city, which is protected from flood by traditional dams, protective walls and pump stations, a new part of the city is being created where individual counter-flood technical solutions dominate.
Today, on November 26, during the workshop the interim results of the research “Integrated Strategy for Riga City to Adapt to the Hydrological Processes Intensified by Climate Change Phenomena” were presented to the specialists, i. e., the first results and conclusions from flooding territory modelling, erosion, flood impact evaluation and calculation of loss. Anyone who is interested is welcome to get acquainted with the information on the interim results of this research on November 29 in City Development Department. The research is being carried out by City Development Department within the framework of the project “RIGA AGAINST FLOOD”, which is co-funded by European Union LIFE+ programme.
On November 29 this year Riga City Council City Development Department invites the inhabitants of Riga to attend an informative meeting about the progress of the project “RIGA AGAINST FLOOD”, which is co-funded by European Union LIFE+ programme. During the meeting the interim results of the research “Integrated Strategy for Riga City to Adapt to the Hydrological Processes Intensified by Climate Change Phenomena” will be presented, i. e., the first results and conclusions from flooding territory modelling, erosion, flood impact evaluation and calculation of loss.
The meeting will be held on November 29 at 6. p.m. in the premises of Riga City Council City Development Department, Amatu street 4, in the hall on the 3rd floor.
