More information
Description
Leśna, like other communes in the Sudetes, is struggling with floods (2010, 2013) and droughts (2015, 2018). Poor water management causes that there is less and less groundwater, and with heavy rainfall, streams cause floods and inundation. Research was carried out among representatives of 12 communes in the region, which allowed for the analysis of the initial situation regarding the knowledge and capacity gaps related to blue and green infrastructure implementation for climate change adapt.
Implementing innovative blue&green infrastructure (BGI), providing retention capacity of 2700 m3 and revitalization of 9500 m2 greenery. Equipping key stakeholders with effective tools for BGI implementation, through seminars and conferences. Raising awareness about the connection between landscape management and climate change adaptation &capacity to implement simple but effective nature based solutions among non-specialists, via demonstration site, publication, tutorial videos, workshops, education events.
Adapt Lesna to climate change. Create Izery Climate Adaptation Center (regional scale capacity building institution). Raise awareness&knowledge about climate change adapt. via BGI among target groups.
Decision makers in Izery Region via seminar and conference. Inhabitants, farmers and tourists in Lesna and the Izery region via capacity building events. Future BGI designers via specialist trainings.
Summary of project results
The main problem addressed by the project was the severity of weather phenomena (primarily droughts and floods) related to climate change, which the Leśna commune (Project Partner) and the entire Izera Foothills region are struggling with, and which will intensify in the coming years.
Leśna, like other communes in the region, is regularly affected by floods (2010, 2013, 2024) and droughts (2015, 2018), which are becoming more severe year by year. Due to the poor water and forest management to date, including forest clearing or the removal of gates in the ditches or small reservoirs by landowners, the groundwater level is decreasing, and during heavy rainfall, streams in the commune overflow.
The commune does not have sufficient financial resources to implement large “grey” investments, what is more, they do not respond to all the problems related to intense weather phenomena (strong winds, heavy rainfall, heat waves, droughts), which will occur more and more often with the ongoing climate change. Among other reasons, the dry reservoirs planned years ago in the commune, which only responded to the problem of floods, were not implemented.
An additional problem and challenge was the low awareness of residents, officials and councillors in the region about possible alternative actions, such as blue-green infrastructure solutions, which do not generate such high costs as grey solutions, and which ones respond better to the adaptation needs related to climate change. The lack of understanding of residents and decision-makers regarding this type of solution limited the possibilities of implementing them in the commune.
Another problem was the lack of knowledge about the functioning of natural and transformed streams and rivers and what maintenance actions eliminate or deepen the problem of droughts and floods. Deforestation and removal of trees on slopes and hillsides, draining water through ditches, filling in water holes, straightening and deepening streams and rivers, and sealing surfaces in yards and towns cause rainwater to quickly escape through rivers to the sea instead of slowly seeping through and feeding groundwater. In this way, we lose it, exposing ourselves to greater effects of drought. Despite this, the commune''s residents used such procedures and/or expected them from the commune authorities as part of maintenance activities. Therefore, raising the knowledge and awareness of residents in this area was a major challenge. The Leśna commune, as an urban-rural area, has many low-urbanized terrains, and as an agricultural and foothill area, it struggles with the problem of large water runoff. With increasingly frequent heavy rains, water quickly flows from fields devoid of trees and retention ditches and does not stay in the ground, which translates into droughts. This is a huge problem in this region because most residents draw their water resources from domestic wells. In turn, the rapid flow of water in the foothill areas into streams, which, swollen with enormous kinetic energy, flow into the river, translates into floods and floods.
In such areas (agricultural and rural), for effective adaptation to climate change, the role of the residents (owners of private land, including farmers) is extremely important. They must be aware of the effects of drought and flood-related to specific actions and methods of land development. To be effective, small retention solutions counteracting drought and flood must be implemented throughout the commune and the wider region, including private land, and not only as part of investments implemented by the commune.
Therefore, the educational aspect of the project was highly important, complementary to investment activities, which aimed to raise awareness of the entire local community. The project’s aim was not only to create model solutions within the blue-green infrastructure system in the commune but also to invite residents to implement similar actions on their own and a broad educational campaign.
As a result of the project, by creating the Izera Centre for Adaptation to Climate Change with an educational path, which became part of the blue-green infrastructure investment, including bioretention facilities, unsealing, revitalisation of green areas and new plantings increasing biodiversity, the Leśna Commune, in line with the assumptions, became a regional centre for practical education for adaptation.
The implemented investment and educational activities were complementary to each other. The activities were carried out in cooperation between the partners.
A total of 195 people were trained as part of the project, and 198 497 were covered by an awareness-raising campaign, including 23 725 people, covered by educational activities.
The main educational activities carried out include:
- A geosurvey conducted in February 2022 among residents of the Leśna commune. As part of the survey, we asked residents about their experience with floods and droughts. The results were used in subsequent activities of the project. For respondents, participation in the survey had an additional educational character, stimulating them to reflect on climate change. The report from the study is available at: https://sendzimir.org.pl/projekty/miedzy-susza-a-powodzia/geoankieta/
- One-day workshops for residents, using the VISIS Pyramid tool, conducted in March 2022. The workshops identified the most important challenges for residents and the main directions of action that should be taken in the commune to adapt to climate change. An additional value was the increase in knowledge and understanding of issues related to climate change in Leśna, by participants.
- Two-day seminar "Good practices of blue-green infrastructure", that took place on 5-6.04.2022, in Leśna. The seminar officially inaugurated the project. The program included a presentation of the project''s assumptions and presentations showing the possibilities offered by nature-based solutions in the field of drought and flood prevention. The seminar was attended by representatives of the foreign partner, COWI: Halldóra Hreggviðsdóttir and Simona Robb, who showed good practices in implementing nature-based solutions from different places around the world. On the second day, consultations on the development concept of the areas to be implemented as part of the project were held among municipal officials, the Mayor of Leśna, experts from the Sendzimir Foundation, the foreign partner (COWI) and designers.
- A three-day training for educators (November 2022), during which we trained local leaders using interactive training forms. During the training, participants deepened their knowledge of climate change and its effects and learned about good practices in conducting active education and various training tools that facilitate greater involvement of participants. They also developed their ideas for workshop scenarios. People participating in the course, at the next stage of education as part of the project, took part in practical workshops for residents and practised theory in practice. Then, volunteers led workshops for residents of Leśna and the surrounding area as part of the Izera Climate Change Adaptation Center created as part of the project.
- Two picnics for residents to disseminate information about the project and knowledge about climate change and counteracting its effects, such as droughts and floods. The first picnic (June 2022) - inaugurating the project, took place on the premises of the former junior high school, where the Izera Climate Change Adaptation Center was established in the subsequent stages of the project. The second one, opening the educational trail "Blue-green Leśna" there, took place in October 2023 on the investment site in Leśna. Both picnic programs included shows, workshops and competitions. An attraction specially prepared for the picnic was a river simulator. The exhibit showed how a stream behaves during heavy downpours when water flows simultaneously from many mountain streams to the main river.
- 10 practical workshops on creating blue-green infrastructure for residents, during which they were involved in the implementation of selected solutions such as rain gardens, green walls or flower meadows, which were part of the investment. The workshops were held in the third and fourth quarters of 2023. All workshops included theoretical and practical parts.
- 10 workshops as part of the Izera Center for Adaptation to Climate Change, which were led by educators trained as part of the project. The workshops were carried out in the fall of 2023 and spring of 2024. The participants of the workshops were residents of Leśna and the surrounding area, school and kindergarten children and youth from the Leśna commune and surrounding communes, and firefighters. The workshops concerned various aspects of climate change, increasing retention and biodiversity, and the importance of planting trees or composting.
- A two-day conference summarizing the project entitled "Between drought and flood – blue and green infrastructure in the Leśna Municipality”, held in March 2024 in Jelenia Góra. The conference partners were the City of Jelenia Góra and the Karkonosze National Park. The program included: lectures, a best practice exchange workshop in the World Cafe formula, a panel discussion, workshops and a visit to the investment site in Leśna. The report from the conference can be watched at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgHn
- A four-day blue-green infrastructure design workshop for spatial planning specialists, landscape architects, architects, employees of planning departments and municipal greenery (March 2024). The program included theoretical and practical classes, including a field visit. Participants worked on specific blue and green infrastructure projects for roads washed out during heavy rainfall.
Investment:
- As part of the investment activities, a blue-green infrastructure system was implemented in Leśna, i.e. nature-based solutions, located in various places in the city of Leśna and around the local fire station in Świecie. All locations were connected by the "Blue-green Leśna" educational path.
- As part of all investment activities, the following were created: 2 green roofs, 9 green walls (on buildings and free-standing), green pergolas and wicker architecture (4 pcs.), 9 retention basins, rain gardens in the ground (10 pcs.) and containers (4 pcs.), 5 rainwater tanks, green parking spaces (2 parking lots), 7 flower meadows and a ditch gate. A total of 2.3863 ha of green areas were revitalized, taking into account the bioretention and recreational function, including greening of built-up areas by planting trees and shrubs of native species (2964 shrubs and 97 trees). Maintenance of the old linden trees alley and trees in the historic Wollerów Park was also carried out. A total of 60 trees were maintained. The total unsealed area was 0.7029 ha.
Products:
- The “Blue-Green Leśna” educational trail dedicated to the challenges of climate change, including flood risk and drought. The trail includes educational boards about how a natural river counteracts drought and flood and how to use various simple nature-based solutions to collect rainwater and increase biodiversity. The boards on site, via QR codes lead to additional online materials on the project website.
- A publication entitled "Between drought and flood. How to retain water in the landscape" (circulation of 3 thousand copies and online version), contains a catalogue of recommended adaptation and mitigation measures using nature-based solutions in urban and rural areas. The publication contains a description of the challenges related to climate change in the region, an overview of model solutions reducing the effects of drought and flood, information on formal and legal conditions and possibilities of co-financing the recommended actions.
- 4 educational and instructional films supplementing the publication: 1. “Restoring the health of the river. Actions to reduce drought and floods”, 2. “How to cultivate a garden to retain as much rainwater as possible?”, 3. “How to choose a retention solution for the terrain?”, 4. “How to create a rain garden in the ground?”. The films are available on the project website and on the YouTube channel of the Sendzimir Foundation.
- A map of retention places was developed based on open street maps, which marks places conducive to retention in the Leśna Commune and its surroundings.
- A film report from the implementation of the project.
- The project website zielona.lesna.pl
The main beneficiaries of the project were the residents of Leśna, who have gained new places for recreation and rest, which at the same time increase landscape retention and biodiversity in the commune, as well as many educational materials that are to inspire them about better rainwater management and implement solutions that support retention on their lands.
The investment implemented in Leśna, including blue-green infrastructure solutions, was designed and implemented in such a way as to allow rainwater to be retained in the place of precipitation, improve the microclimate and make the commune''s space more attractive, but also had a demonstrative character, and thus allowed to educate visitors about the connections between the way of land development and counteracting floods and droughts.
The educational and communication activities implemented in the commune, which were complementary to those of the investment, and the creation of the Izera Center for Adaptation to Climate Change and an educational path, clearly translated into raising the awareness of residents about the effects of climate change and ways to counteract them.
Thanks to the fact that the materials and messages regarding complex content and issues, such as adaptation and mitigation of climate change, water retention, or increasing biodiversity were created in a way that was understandable to residents, but free from simplifications and distortions, it was possible to raise the awareness of the local community and increase the knowledge of residents on this subject. Both the educational path, educational films and the publication were prepared simply and attractively and are very popular among residents of Leśna and the surrounding area, as well as decision-makers from the surrounding communes, who, using the experience and educational resources of Leśna, want to promote blue-green infrastructure in their area.
The positive response of residents and decision-makers of the Leśna Commune (quite sceptical at the beginning of the project), who today no longer need to be convinced to take adaptation actions and who understand not only the concept of blue-green infrastructure but also the need to implement it - this is the greatest success of this project. The implementation of educational activities and work with the local community confirmed our belief that we need to continue promoting knowledge about adaptation and mitigation of climate change, in particular about water resources management and its impact on the risk of drought and flooding.
The project resonates among the residents of Leśna, the surrounding communes and the entire region. The created educational trail and the Izera Adaptation Center are visited not only by the residents of Leśna but also by the surrounding communes. They are visited by individual residents, tourists, school trips and other local governments.
Another, equally important result of the project, apart from adaptation and educational activities, is instilling in the local community a sense of agency and responsibility for the place where they live. And even pride. Thanks to the activities carried out in the Leśna commune, both educational and infrastructural, it has become a model for other nearby communities, and the created Izera Adaptation Center for climate change is a new, important point on the map of the region.
After the implementation of the project, the Leśna commune has become a leader in the region and is cited as an example of a commune that takes exemplary care of sustainable local development, including, above all, the implementation of activities related to adaptation of climate change. The commune authorities try to infect not only neighbouring communes but the entire region with their ideas, thinking strategically about managing water resources and building safety related to droughts and floods as a problem that does not recognize the administrative boundaries of communes and affects everyone in this area. The solutions implemented in Leśna, such as green parking lots, where concrete blocks with expansion joints were used, allowing water to freely soak into the ground, are replicated as a model for the implementation of new investments. On the other hand, the residents of Leśna, as part of the civic budget, are reporting more and more green investments, including the construction of rain gardens or new plantings. This shows a clear change in the thinking of both officials and residents themselves, aimed at increasing the retention potential of the commune and building resistance to climate change.
Summary of bilateral results
The participation of the Norwegian Partner (COWI) in the project enriched educational activities with additional content based on the Partner''s extensive knowledge and experience in the implementation of comprehensive solutions for blue-green infrastructure. The participation of the Partner''s representatives in the seminar inaugurating the project raised its profile, and the presentation of the possibilities offered by solutions based on nature using examples of completed investments from various places around the world. In particular, COWI’s projects from Norway and Iceland inspired the seminar participants and other partners. The main result of the bilateral cooperation was the exchange of good practices and knowledge, as well as mutual inspiration for further actions in the implementation of blue-green infrastructure solutions. We do not have a plan to continue cooperation with COWI at the moment. However, we maintain such an option if in the future an idea to implement a similar investment project appears, in which the experience of such a large consulting company would bring significant value to the project.