For decades, flood defences along Poland’s San river have protected nearby communities. But as rainfall patterns change and extreme weather becomes more frequent, these defences are under growing strain.
Along a 17-kilometre stretch of the river, near its junction with the Wisła, Polish authorities are upgrading dykes and flood embankments on the river’s left bank. The works, including sealing, raising and reinforcing existing structures, will better protect around 8500 residents in the municipalities of Stalowa Wola and Zaleszany, in south-eastern Poland.
Early flood protection measures focused on limiting damage after extreme events. “Originally, rivers flowed freely without borders, dykes, or other obstacles,” says Łukasz Wyra, a water sector expert at the European Investment Bank, “and during floods they had enough space for flooding or extending their flow.”
Over time, people began settling closer to rivers to access their resources. But changing rainfall patterns now put these settlements at greater risk and push authorities to think beyond short-term protection and towards long-term climate adaptation.
Local communities have called for stronger action from national and regional authorities to reduce flood impacts before they occur.
Investing in safer communities
Through the JASPERS programme, EIB Advisory helped Polish authorities prepare the project and make sure it meets EU environmental and climate standards.
On-site visits played an important role: “We could see the existing situation and surroundings for project understanding—this is our DNA, that we always try to support on the ground our beneficiaries,” says Wyra. “The dyke was slightly demolished by damage from local heavy equipment and machines going from one side of the dyke to another side of the dyke. ”
@EIB
@EIB
@EIB
That hands-on approach helped shape practical solutions, such as safer access across embankments for agricultural use and measures to improve the long-term stability of the flood defences.
The San River project is part of Poland’s broader flood protection and prevention programme for the 2021–2027 period. It has an estimated cost of around PLN 150 million and received EU grant funding under the European Regional Development Fund.
During the 2021–2027 programming period, Poland's flood protection and prevention programme is co-financed with a total allocation of €200 million from the European Investment Bank, of which the San River project is expected to benefit.