Łódź Voivodeship fights against drought

Contrary to popular belief, the Voivodeship does not become a desert but, just like the whole country, it experiences the effects of climate change, and most of all water scarcity. The local government of the region undertakes many activities to counteract the effects of these phenomena.

The Lodzkie Voivodeship is facing problems resulting from climate change, but also from human activity, in terms of water and air quality. A large part of agricultural and forest areas is highly endangered by agricultural drought, which is manifested, for example, by the periodic lack of water in smaller rivers. Therefore, one of the major challenges faced by the region is rational water management, including rainwater management at the place where it falls and subsequent water retention.

In order to meet these needs, the local governments of the Lodzkie Voivodeship undertake various activities: planning, investment and educational, to enable the adaptation of cities to climate change and extreme weather phenomena such as storms, progressive water shortage and urban heat islands.

Increasingly higher temperatures

Climate change and the associated extreme weather phenomena (higher and higher air temperatures, strong sunlight, rainfall deficit, droughts) cause a water deficit in the soil and a reduction in surface, ground and underground water resources. The northern and north-western part of the Voivodeship, as well as the Bełchatów region, are struggling with water shortage during the growing season. Therefore, in the Lodzkie Voivodeship there is a significant share of agricultural and forest areas that are strongly threatened by agricultural drought.

Based on the data from 1971-2000, an increase in the average annual temperature of 2 to 3° C can be noticed, especially in the northern and western part of the Voivodeship. Anomalies were also noted in the annual total precipitation and their decrease from 10 to 30%, resulting in the appearance of a low rainfall zone (less than 400 mm per year) covering the north-western and western part of the Voivodeship. An additional factor conducive to drought is the lowest forest cover in Poland and a very low retention capacity of the catchment area. The problem of water shortage is felt in the area of the depression cone caused by the activity of the Bełchatów Brown Coal Mine.

The emerging reports about the "desertification" and "steppe-formation" of the Łódź Province are far from the truth. Desertification is the process of the expansion of deserts in areas where they were not observed in historical times. In the Lodzkie Voivodeship, such a phenomenon does not occur and there is no steppe process, understood as the transformation of forested areas, shrubs and meadows into grassland biomes: steppe or prairie. On the contrary, meadow positions in protected areas usually require active protection, i.e. mowing, to avoid secondary forest succession. Also the slopes of the brown coal open pit of the Bełchatów field, located within the range of the so-called depression crater is gradually overgrown with vegetation and forest. It is important to use reliable expressions to describe reality in a responsible manner because based on the diagnosis decisions are made about multi-billion dollar current and long-term economic and geopolitical costs.

It must be admitted that in the Lodzkie Voivodeship periodically there is a phenomenon of drought understood as a long-lasting (over a month) period without rainfall and the related drying of the soil. Moreover, surface water resources are relatively small due to the very low retention capacity of the catchment area, and their quality is poor.

Agricultural drought is not the only problem. Urban centres, especially the largest ones, have to adapt to climate change, which is manifested by such weather phenomena as heat, torrential rains and sudden often urban floods. The effect of precipitation of very high intensity and short duration, combined with difficult water infiltration and often clogged rainwater drainage systems, are flooding. The area of the greatest accumulation of problems related to extreme phenomena are cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Łódź is exposed to 3 out of 10 major climatic threats, i.e. heat, heavy rainfall and storms, and urban floods. Negative climatic phenomena also occur in rural areas, where strong winds damage buildings and overhead transmission lines.

In addition, there is also a flood risk in Łódź. The level of integrated flood risk in the Warta and Central Vistula water regions is defined as moderate, and the Voivodeship is defined as an area with increased water needs.

The total costs of drought and extreme weather phenomena are difficult to estimate, as they are borne by many entities: local governments (costs of repairing infrastructure damage), businesses (e.g. costs resulting from greater use of cooling infrastructure) and farmers (crop losses), as well as residents in the region (health costs). The strictly environmental costs related to e.g. higher groundwater abstraction for irrigation of fields and carbon dioxide emissions as a result of the increased energy demand for cooling systems.

Regional outreach

The necessity to adapt to climate change and react to drought has been noticed by the Voivodeship self-government. This was reflected in the strategic and spatial policy implemented by the Voivodeship self-government. Responding to drought, heat and torrential rains play a key role in many documents of a strategic nature (draft "Strategy for the development of the Lodzkie Voivodeship 2030"), planning (Spatial Development Plan for the Lodzkie Voivodeship) and program (draft Environmental Protection Program of the Lodzkie Voivodeship on years 2021-2024 with an outlook until 2028).

The key anticipatory actions were indicated in the "Strategy for the Development of the Lodzkie Region 2030", where one of the challenges was the high risk of drought and other extreme weather and climate phenomena. It was reflected in the strategic provisions of the operational objective 3.1 "Adaptation to climate change and improvement of the quality of environmental resources", for which many directions of activities related to responding to problems of drought and extreme phenomena were defined. Moreover, under the operational objective 3.2. “Landscape protection and shaping” includes activities that have a positive impact on reducing the effects of drought.

Indirectly, the improvement of the region's adaptation abilities to climate change will also have the measures provided for in the horizontal objective: “Effectively and responsibly managed Voivodeship" related to the implementation of an integrated and territorially oriented policy of sustainable spatial development, under which it is planned to support communities in spatial planning processes and raise awareness of threats related to the lack of sustainable spatial policy. In the longer term, activities aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions within the operational objectives 3.3 are also important. “Increasing transport accessibility and 3.4. "Modern energy in the Voivodeship".

An important action aimed at reducing water shortages was the commencement of dialogue by the Marshal of the Lodzkie Voivodeship with the State Water Management "Polish Waters". On May 28 2020 the marshal signed an agreement with the president of PGW setting out the principles of cooperation in shaping water resources in the Voivodeship. The parties to the contract declared close cooperation in the field of water management, in particular regarding increasing water retention and restoring the functionality of drainage systems.

In addition, as part of the Stop the drought! conference PGW Woda Polskie launched a program of shaping water resources in agricultural areas, which uses trough retention. The program of shaping water resources in agricultural areas assumes the improvement of the retention capacity of rivers, canals and drainage facilities, using weirs, culverts and other devices. As a result, during periods of rainfall shortages on rivers and canals, temporary damming of waters was carried out to redirect them to drainage ditches.

… And local

Local governments were also involved in the fight against the effects of climate change. Łódź¹, Bełchatów² i Tomaszów Mazowiecki³ already have municipal plans for adaptation to climate change. Some (Bełchatów, Brzeziny, Łódź, Pabianice, Radomsko) have also prepared revitalisation programs for degraded areas. In addition, local spatial planning more and more often includes solutions that facilitate the adaptation of cities to climate change. The rules of rainwater management are established, with the use of surfaces such as concrete and asphalt is banned, and the share of biologically active surface or the possibility of creating green roofs is also determined.

Unfortunately, despite the growing awareness of the inhabitants and local development managers in the cities of the Lodzkie Voivodeship, investments counteracting water shortage are still implemented to a modest extent. The majority of investments go to creating small retention reservoirs, ponds, green roofs and green walls, rain gardens, green areas as natural retention areas (e.g. flower meadows), and new permeable surfaces. So far such investments have been carried out, for example, in Bełchatów, where a pocket park has been created, allowing pedestrians to easily pass through the green passage⁴, and in Pabianice, where the Pabianickie Zielone Podwórka program was launched⁵, improving the quality of greenery in inter-residential areas.

Most investments were carried out in Łódź, but the effects of these activities are disproportionate to the huge scale of needs. The city manages rainwater, which is favoured by new plantings and green areas, e.g. woonerfs (living streets) in the city centre, squares and pocket parks. The latter were built as part of the revitalization of the centre⁷ of Łódź and in Stary Polesie. Gardens are being built on the roofs of office buildings and public buildings in Łódź⁸ and the largest one will be located at the Orientarium, which is currently under construction.⁹ Rain gardens are also becoming a popular element of urban design. In 2020 a garden was created at the Rozgrywka Library in Lodz¹⁰, and in the years 2021-2024 100 such investments are to be built as part of the program “Lodz Schools for Climate. Local adaptation actions.”¹¹ Solutions involving the use of rainwater for the care of greenery were used in the didactic and experimental garden at the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz.¹² Similarly, all greenery in the new Orientarium and its surroundings will be supplied with rainwater collected in underground reservoirs.

In a large part of the Voivodeship's cities, it is more and more common to unseal the surface, for example, through the use of an openwork surface that permeates rainwater in parking lots (e.g. in the A. Mickiewicza park in Łódź and in another park in Sieradz) or maintaining green tram tracks (e.g. in an area of Aleja Piłsudskiego). Nevertheless, many new investments still do not take into account the needs of cities to adapt to climate change. Examples include modern office buildings in the centre of Łódź and revitalisation of historic markets (e.g. Warta and Skierniewice).

It is also important to educate residents on how to rationally manage water. This was emphasised in the strategies of adaptation to climate change in Bełchatów and Tomaszów Mazowiecki. Numerous initiatives are bottom-up and are implemented at various levels of pre-school and school education.

Advisory publications are issued (eg: "Let's fight the drought together", "How to water properly", "Precious rainwater - a short guide on how to keep it on the plot", "Łódź catches rainwater", "Standards for the care of lawns and urban meadows in Łódź").¹³

SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR RESIDENTS AND COMPANIES

Tab.1. Selected sources of financing

RESOURCES FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION
the Regional Operational Programme of the Pomeranian Voivodeship for 2014-2020
Managing authority Application deadline	The subject of financing
Regional Operational Program of the Marshal’s Office of the Lodzkie Voivodeship al. Piłsudskiego 8 90-051 Łódź Application deadline Depending on the sub-measure, the deadlines for submitting applications are different, they are not conducted continuously. There are several deadlines for applications under each sub-measure.	1.2 Renewable energy sources – incl. construction, reconstruction or modernisation of infrastructure for the production and distribution of electricity from renewable sources based on the capacity of the unit being installed. As regards energy distribution, only investments in low voltage grids (below 110 kV) will be supported, enabling the connection of units generating electricity from renewable sources to the National Power System. Construction, reconstruction or modernisation of infrastructure for the production and distribution of heat energy from renewable sources, based on the capacity of the unit being installed. 3.2 Air protection – incl construction (excl. reconstruction, extension or superstructure) of passive public buildings consisting of pilot or demonstration projects, replacement or renovation of heat sources, modernisation of heat supply systems and provision of a heating network to single-family and multi-family housing as well as public buildings in order to eliminate in-situ heat sources. The scope of support does not cover investments in heating networks implemented under the ITI Strategy and projects in the field of coal heating (coal-fired furnaces and boilers), construction, reconstruction, and modernisation of public lighting with the use of energy-saving and ecological devices. Support for an investment in public lighting will only be possible as part of another wider infrastructure project. 4 Reduction of pollutant emissions – incl. replacement of low-efficiency and non-ecological heat sources with new more ecological heat sources, investments increasing energy efficiency and reducing the demand for energy in buildings, along with the replacement of low-efficiency and non-ecological heat sources with new more ecological heat sources. Sub-measure V.1.1 Water and risk management – incl. construction, reconstruction of small retention facilities, including natural retention (e.g. restoration of transformed watercourses, floodplains and wetlands), construction of rainwater or meltwater management systems at the place of their formation in cities below 100,000 residents. Measure V.2 Waste management – incl. investments in waste management plants in the implementation of recovery technologies, such as recycling and disposal of waste in processes other than landfill, investments in the infrastructure for selective collection and treatment of waste: glass, metal, plastic, paper, biodegradable waste and other municipal waste, in conjunction with the education of the local community covered by the project, including the promotion of reuse. Sub-measure V.3.2 Water and sewage management – incl. construction of municipal sewage treatment plants (including support for sewage sludge management), reconstruction of existing municipal sewage treatment plants leading to the improvement of their parameters (including support for sewage sludge management, construction of home sewage treatment plants, ensuring the degree of wastewater treatment required for agglomerations is in the region of 2 – 10 thousand PE, construction and modernization of the sanitary sewage system). Measure V.4 Nature protection – incl. improving the standard of the technical base or equipment of landscape parks or nature reserves (including those located in Natura 2000 areas); construction or reconstruction of infrastructure for the maintenance or creation of biodiversity protection centres based on native species (e.g. gene banks, city parks and botanical gardens); projects aimed at the preservation and protection of biological diversity consisting of active protection in areas covered by some form of nature protection. Sub-measure V.4.1 Nature protection – incl. improving the standard of the technical base or equipment of landscape parks or nature reserves (including those located in Natura 2000 areas); construction or reconstruction of infrastructure for the maintenance or creation of biodiversity protection centres based on native species (e.g. gene banks, city parks, botanical gardens); construction or modernisation of the necessary infrastructure (including green infrastructure) related to the protection and restoration of the proper conditions of natural habitats and species (also in protected areas). Sub-measure V.4.2 Counteracting environmental degradation – incl. construction or modernisation of the necessary infrastructure aimed at limiting the degradation of the natural environment in places of rest, on tourist routes (including projects in the field of creating and restoring tourist routes), and promoting forms of nature protection (e.g. viewing platforms and educational paths using local natural resources).
RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR 2014-2020
Department of the Rural Development Fund of the Marshal’s Office of the Łódzkie Voivodeship al. Piłsudskiego 12 90-051 Łódź Application deadline Depends on the measure, sub-measure or type of operation.	Activities in the field of construction, reconstruction or equipment of construction facilities for water supply or sewage disposal and treatment, as well as the purchase and installation of sewage or water supply equipment and installations. Development of generally available and non-commercial tourist, recreational or cultural infrastructure (including equipment for entities operating in the field of culture). The RDP Application Handling Department indirectly (by granting financial aid) supports projects favourable to environmental protection. Elements of environmental protection can be found both under Measure 7. Basic services and village renewal in rural areas and measures 19. LEADER, Sub-measure 19.2 Support for the implementation of operations under the CLLD strategy. Such elements can be found within the framework of operations such as "Water and sewage management" or, on a smaller scale, as part of starting or developing economic activity or investments of local government units in the scope of the LEADER initiative. However, these are not projects that go beyond the activities of other voivodeship self-governments implementing RDP 2014-2020 at the same time.
RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR 2014-2020 SUB-MEASURE 4.1.3 MODERNISATION OF FARMS - IN THE AREA OF AGRICULTURAL IRRIGATION
Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture, Al. Piłsudskiego 84 92-202 Łódź Application deadline The last window was from November 30, 2020 to January 28, 2021.	The program is intended for farmers. It allows farm owners to finance, inter alia, construction of wells and reservoirs as well as the purchase of machinery and equipment for abstraction, storage, treatment, recovery or distribution of water, irrigation installations, and irrigation control systems. Financial aid per one beneficiary and one farm is up to 100,000 PLN.
Regional measures
"MY WATER" PRIORITY PROGRAM FOR 2020-2024
Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management ul. Dubois 118 93-465 Łódź Application deadline: The call is on a continuous basis.	This program aims to protect water resources and minimise the phenomenon of drought in Poland by increasing the level of water retention on the land close to single-family residential buildings and the use of accumulated rainwater and snowmelt, including thanks to the development of green and blue infrastructure. The call for applications for WFOŚiGW is conducted on a continuous basis.
PROGRAM FOR ASBESTOS DISPOSAL PROJECTS 2021 - 2022
Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management ul. Dubois 118 93-465 Łódź Application deadline: The call is on a continuous basis.	Asbestos removal in the Lodzkie Voivodeship by co-financing tasks related to the removal of asbestos-containing products carried out by professionals, including agricultural workers.
PROGRAM FOR PROJECTS IN THE FIELD OF CONSTRUCTION OF DOMESTIC SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS
Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management ul. Dubois 118 93-465 Łódź Application deadline: The call is on a continuous basis.	Supporting the wastewater management of the Lodzkie Voivodeship by co-financing the employment of professionals in the construction of home sewage treatment plants with a capacity of less than 5 m³/ d, in order to enable the treatment of social and household wastewater in areas for which the construction of a collective sanitary sewage system is not planned.
CLEAN AIR
Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management ul. Dubois 118 93-465 Łódź Application deadline: The call is on a continuous basis.	The program aims to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing heat sources and improving the energy efficiency of single-family residential buildings. Depending on the variant of the program, it is possible to obtain various degrees of funding for investments.
SUPPORT FOR SEWAGE MANAGEMENT
Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management ul. Dubois 118 93-465 Łódź Application deadline: The call will be open on a continuous basis until September 30, 2021 or until funds are exhausted.	Activities in the field of construction or expansion of wastewater treatment plants, sanitary sewage systems (in the gravity, pressure and vacuum sewage systems and on sections of the main networks, mainly collectors) and expansion of network branches to connect more residential properties.
ECO LANTERNS - IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF OUTDOOR LIGHTING SYSTEMS
Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management ul. Dubois 118 93-465 Łódź Application deadline: The call will be open on a continuous basis until September 30, 2021 or until funds are exhausted.	Implementation of investments in the field of energy-saving lighting systems equipped with intelligent lighting control systems.
RATIONALISATION OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND MUNICIPAL RESOURCES TO REDUCE THE EMISSION OF POLLUTANTS TO THE ATMOSPHERE - 5TH EDITION
Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management ul. Dubois 118 93-465 Łódź Application deadline: The call will be open on a continuous basis until September 30, 2021 or until funds are exhausted.	Reducing the emission of pollutants into the atmosphere through the implementation of investments consisting in comprehensive thermal modernisation of buildings located in the Łódź Voivodeship, leading to energy efficiency or the use of renewable energy sources.
CREATE GREEN AREAS IN PUBLIC SPACE TOGETHER WITH EDUCATIONAL CENTRES
Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management ul. Dubois 118 93-465 Łódź Application deadline: The call will be open until May 7, 2021.	Creation of green areas in the public space with educational centres in the area of the Lodzkie Voivodeship: to adapt the public space to social and educational needs, and to enable the public to take advantage of their values. The scope of co-financing includes, among others: purchase of planting materials and planting of perennial plants, establishment of lawns and flower meadows, purchase/production/installation of educational boards, other signage, plant species identification plates, nature and ecological educational installations (e.g. swiatowid type), rock debris/ponds, a weather station with equipment for insect houses, educational hives, nesting boxes and bird drinkers, construction or modernisation of existing paths/alleys only with water-permeable materials.
ECOREMISE - THERMOMODERNISATION OF FIRE BRANCHES AND THE USE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES TO REDUCE THE EMISSION OF POLLUTANTS TO THE ATMOSPHERE - 2nd EDITION
Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management ul. Dubois 118 93-465 Łódź Application deadline: The call will be open until May 7, 2021.	Implementation of investments consisting in: the use of renewable energy sources, comprehensive thermal modernisation of buildings of the fire stations of the Volunteer Fire Brigades, located in the Łódź Voivodeship, leading to energy efficiency.
LOCAL (CITY) MEASURES
INVESTMENT UNDERTAKING FOR AIR PROTECTION, CARRIED OUT IN THE CITY OF LODZ
LODZ CITY OFFICE Piotrkowska 104 90-926 Łódź Application deadline: This year's call will be carried out until March 31, 2021.	The program aims to protect the air by permanently changing the heating system, such as on connection to the heating network, gas network or installation of an individual source of electric heating; including, among others costs such as dismantling the decommissioned heating source, the cost of purchasing and installing a new heating system, the cost of installing a heat substation or connecting to the gas or electricity network.

Author: TOGETAIR Editors

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