Project title:

"Comprehensive project for adapting forests and forestry to climate change – small retention and combating water erosion in lowland areas".

Implemented under:

Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment 2014-2020, Action 2.1 Adaptation to climate change with ensuring and increasing resilience to natural disasters, especially natural catastrophes and environmental monitoring.

Implementation period:

2016-2023

Beneficiary:

State Forests National Forest Holding, with the support of the Coordination Centre for Environmental Projects as the implementing entity.

Project goal:

Strengthening the resilience to climate change-related threats in lowland forest ecosystems.

Supplementary objectives:

• Restoration of valuable natural ecosystems, thus positively impacting the protection of biodiversity.
• Assessment of the environmental effects of the tasks performed, carried out through post-implementation monitoring of selected adaptation tasks.

Undertaken actions:

The actions were aimed at preventing or minimizing the negative effects of natural phenomena such as the destructive action of floodwaters, floods and inundations, drought and fires.

Project investments included:

• Construction, reconstruction, renovation and improvement of the functionality of small retention reservoirs, along with the necessary infrastructure to enable water extraction for firefighting purposes by State Fire Service units.
• Construction, reconstruction, renovation and improvement of the functionality of small damming devices to slow down surface water runoff and protect peat soils.
• Adaptation of existing drainage systems to perform retention functions while maintaining fish and other aquatic organisms’ passability.
• Counteracting excessive water erosion, e.g., through the stabilization of banks and slopes.
• Reconstruction and demolition of hydrotechnical structures not adapted to floodwaters (bridges, culverts, fords).

The effectiveness of retention facilities is determined not by their size but by the number of devices in the catchment area, which translates to their large-scale efficiency. Mostly small structures of simple construction using natural materials were built. Since these structures mainly fulfill ecological functions, they are inherently environmentally friendly. All designed structures were adapted to local natural and landscape conditions, including enabling the free movement of aquatic organisms.

The project was implemented across various lowland areas in Poland, focusing on enhancing the resilience of forest ecosystems to climate change. Specific regions and forest districts where these activities took place include a wide range of lowland terrains, emphasizing the adaptation of existing forest infrastructure and natural landscapes to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

By strategically distributing small retention and erosion control measures across these lowland areas, the project aimed to create a cumulative positive impact on the environment, improving water management, soil protection, and overall ecosystem stability.

Effects:

The most significant and measurable effect of the project was primarily water retention. Equally important is the impact of small retention on nature conservation: the reservoirs created under the project have not only improved the water balance and moisture levels of forest habitats but also have become vital refuges for aquatic fauna and flora, have been serving as water sources for forest animals and have been acting as biofilters.

Achieved indicators:

• Volume of retained water: 2,544,674.61 million m³
• Capacity of small retention facilities: 3,985,194.74 million m³
• Number of water damming or flow-slowing structures: 1,349 units

Project value:

• Total project cost: 246,495,660.08 PLN
• Amount of eligible expenses: 191,222,163 PLN
• Amount of funding from European funds: 162,538,838.55 PLN