This document discusses management of floods and cooperation on transboundary rivers. It notes the existence of river basin organizations and transboundary river commissions between Slovakia and its neighboring countries to address issues like hydrology, hydraulics, river regulations, environment, energy use, navigation, and flood protection. These commissions include staff from various technical backgrounds to deal with technical, administrative, and language challenges across borders. Examples of both good and bad cooperation projects on transboundary rivers are provided, including issues caused by an Austrian river modification project. The document advocates for improved cooperation through high-level technical commissions using a single language, adequate funding, and forecasting and understanding problems from all aspects of flood protection.

1. Management of Floods and
Cooperation on Transboundary
Rivers
ZAGREB, 13.-14. DEC. 2011
vladimir.holcik@vvb.sk

2. EUROPE

3. SLOVAKIA

4. RIVER BASIN ORGANISATIONS (SK)

6. TRANSBOUNDARY RIVER
COMMISSIONS
• SK – HU
• SK – AU
• SK – CZ
• SK – PL
• SK – UKR
all flood protection problems have to be solved

7. WHICH PROBLEMS ?
Problems in:
• Hydrology (discharges, water levels, ...., also ice regime),
• Hydraulics,
• River regulations (rip-rap, spur dikes, groins, dredging, ....),
• Environment (chemistry of water, biology, fishes, ......),
• Energy use (WPPs),
• Navigation (locks, weirs, ports, ...........),
• Flood protection (dikes, inundation areas, poldes, .......),

8. TbRCs STAFF
• Hydrologist,
• Hydraulic eng., or Civil eng. (river regulations, turbins, locks, weirs, dikes)
• Chem. eng. (water analysis, ......),
• Navigation specialist,
• Biologist (plankton, fytoplankton, .......),
• Zoologist (zooplankton, fishes, .......),
• Police (border guard, geodesist)
PROBLEMS:
technical,
administrative,
(1, 2, 3 languages, ideal would be only one language)

9. FLOOD PROTECTION PROBLEMS
short historical overliew

12. GOOD & BAD PROJECTS

13. GOOD PRACTICE PROJECTS
• SK – AU

14. BAD PROJECT
Project in Austria – Danube easterly from
Vienna
Flussbauliches Gesamtprojekt Donau östlich
von Wien (200 M €)
Why?
- Riverside fortification destroyed (404.500 m3)
- Groins destroyed or „reconstructed“(137.700 m3)
- Opening of the old arms system
- Riverbed granulometry changed (1.816.500 m3)

15. BAD PROJECT
• Project in Austria – Danube easterly from Vienna

17. WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES?

19. - Stream down: sand, loam, clay, mud, limbs, also whole
trees; all is deposited in Ba, Ču, Ga
- 3 fresh water sources in Bratislava in danger
(app. 800.000 inhabitants), Kolmatation
- Old bridge will be relatively more low
- Trees are dangerous for navigation
- problems in locks (but also in weirs, WPP)
- good only for the dark-green forces ☺
- inacceptable for navigation

23. OLD BRIDGE, river km 1868,14 (Bratislava)

24. Bratislava, new flood protection wall

25. WPPS Gabčíkovo – Nagymaros
engineers: good cooperation; politicians: bad cooperation

26. WPP Gabčíkovo

27. WPP Nagymaros

28. DEN HAAG, ICJ VERDICT:
• Hungary was not entitled to suspend and later abandon in 1989 the works
on the common Project,
• Czechoslovakia was entitled to proceed in Nov. 1991 with the solution on
his own territory, but was not entitled to put it into the operation in Oct.
1992,
• The notification of Hungary of May 19, 1992, about termination of the
Treaty, had no legal effect on the validity of the Treaty 1977,
• Slovakia as successor of Czechoslovakia became the party in the Treaty
1977,
• SK and H must negotiate in good faith, in the light of prevailing situation
and must take all necessary measures to achieve the objectives of the
treaty 1977, in accordance with such modalities, as they may agree upon,
• A joint operational regime must be established and settlement of accounts
for the construction and operation of works must be effected, both in
accordance with the Treaty 1977, taking into account mutually agreed
modifications,
• If not agreed otherwise, both parties have to compensate to the other
party, damages caused by their illegal conduct.

29. How to improve the cooperation
on transboundary rivers
• TbRCs members on high technical level (no
politicians!),
• To understand deeply the problems of all
aspects of flood protection, to forecast (!) the
problems,
• Good administration – only one language in
TbRCs
• Enough money

30. Bratislava 2002

32. Many thanks for your attention!
Danke für ihre Aufmerksamkeit!
Merci beaucoup pour votre attention!
Cпосибо вам за внимание!