ICPDR Logo
Help Contact us Log in Sitemap
Recommend Font smaller Font larger
Danube Watch 2 2006

Flood Safety Projects along the
Tisza river in Hungary

 

Between 1998 and 2001, four extraordinary floods occurred in the Tisza River Basin. Considering the magnitude of the endangered areas, the populations threatened, and the goods damaged, these floods broke every record in the upper and middle Tisza areas. Evaluation of the repeat floods made it clear that the method of heightening and strengthening dams to protect the country against floods should be reconsidered.

The ‘Improvement of the Vasarhelyi Plan’ (IVP) project has been developed, aiming to provide flood safety by storing excess water in reservoirs. The overall objective of the programme is to increase the discharge capacity of the flood bed together with the ecological revitalisation of the floodplain.

Preparatory studies have looked at ways to facilitate an increase in the discharge capacity of the flood bed through alteration of land use, and have identified around 30 sites which might be able to store excess water as reservoirs. Between 10 and 12 sites have been selected which have the total storage capacity of around 1,500 million cubic metres. According to preliminary calculations, this capacity is enough to decrease the peak levels of extreme floods by one metre all along the Hungarian section of the Tisza.

Prompted by the results of these extensive preparatory studies, the Hungarian government adopted a decision on the first stage of the IVP in 2003. During this first stage of the plan, six reservoirs (Cigand-Tiszakarád, Szamos-Kraszna-közi, Nagykunsági, Hanyi-Tiszsülyi, Tiszaroffi reservoirs and part of the Nagykunsági reservoir) will be built. In addition, the discharge capacity of the flood bed will be improved.

The IVP also aims to establish new landscape management in the territory of the reservoirs as well as regional, rural, and infrastructure development – which will result in a healthier Tisza River Basin.

Benedek Göncz is Head of Department of the Flood Defence Department at the Hungarian Ministry of Environment and Water.

 Next: Meetings

Disclaimer

The information contained in the ICPDR website is intended to enhance public access to information about the ICPDR and the Danube River. The information is correct to the best of the knowledge of the ICPDR Secretariat. If errors are brought to our attention we will try to correct them.
The ICPDR, expert group members, nor other parties involved in preparation of information contained on this website cannot, however, be held responsible for the correctness and validity of the data and information provided, nor accept responsibility or liability for damages or losses arising directly or indirectly from the use of the information conveyed therein.
Only those documents clearly marked ICPDR documents reflect the position of the ICPDR.
Any links to other websites are provided for your convenience only. The ICPDR does not accept any responsibility for the accuracy, availability, or appropriateness to the user's purposes, of any information or services on any other website.
When using the information and material provided on this website, credit should be given to the ICPDR.

   
   
© ICPDR
Last Edit: 2006-07-31