HYDROFOR: Systems of optimal forest management for enhancing the hydrological role of forests in preventing the floods in Bodrog river catchment
This project is implemented in the framework of Hungary-Slovakia-Romania-Ukraine ENPI CBC Programme 2007-2013, Priority 2: Enhance environmental quality, Measure 2.2. Emergency preparedness.
Locations of the Project are: Ukraine: Zakarpattya region (oblasts) and Slovakia: Kosice and Presov regions.
Full legal name of the Applicant (Main Partner): Non-Governmental Organization «FORZA, AGENCY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CARPATHIAN REGION»
Project Partners: cross-border partner - National Forest Centre - IFCE Zvolen, Slovakia, and Ukrainian partner: Ukrainian Research Institute for Mountain Forestry after P.S. Pasternak, Ukraine
Total duration of the Project is 22 months – October 2013 – June 2015
Total eligible cost of the Project: EUR 329 137.75
The overall objective is To contribute to the harmonised prevention of flood risks in Bodrog river catchment through enhancement of hydrological effect of forests and improved forest management practices
Specific objectives:
1. To analyse landscape potential for flood initialisation in the Bodrog river catchment
2. To elaborate Methodology for flood predisposing factors assessment in the Bodrog river catchment
3. To assess the forest effect on watershed`s hydrology in the Bodrog river catchment, inter alios simulating the forest effect on watershed`s hydrology
4. To develop convincing recommendation for forest managers for the improvement of forest management methods and practices for strengthening forest flood-regulatory capacity
5. To demonstrate the interrelation between forest management practices, landscape parameters and flood risk in the field
6. To build and maintain information exchange and dialog of foresters with local communities and stakeholders
7. To raise awareness and reach the public understanding of the essence of interrelation of forest management methods and practices with forest flood-regulatory capacity
Target groups:
- Forestry practitioners – forest engineer staff
- Forest managers and managers of from target territories
- Forestry planning specialists
- Managers and specialists of the protected areas from target territories in Ukraine
- Research communities of Ukraine and Slovakia
- Forest owners in Slovakia
- General public of the target territories
Estimated results:
- Data of landcover in the Bodrog river catchment jointly collected and analysed, including list of environmental variables with information on temporal and spatial extension
- Methodology for flood predisposing factors assessment in the Bodrog river catchment jointly adopted and agreed
- Assessment of forest effect on watershed`s hydrology focusing on flood prevention in the Bodrog river catchment and simulation of forest effect on watershed`s hydrology conducted
- Recommendations for forest managers for the improvement of forest management methods and practices for strengthening forest flood-regulatory capacity developed, agreed and discussed with stakeholders.
- Simulation of the effect of changes in landcover on hydrological balance of model watershed(s) in the study region conducted, maps, charts and reports on the effect of various landscape structures elaborated
- Field demonstration of relations between forest management and flood risk conducted
- The proposed measures on optimisation of methods for management plans perceived by forestry managers and practitioners
- Constructive dialog among the foresters and communities and stakeholders of target area built
- General public is more aware of the interrelation of forest management methods and practices with forest flood-regulatory capacity
WP 1 Data collection and analysis of landcover in the Bodrog river catchment
- 1.1 Survey and analysis of landcover, forest structure, disturbance regime and applied forest management
- 1.2 Assessment of spatial and temporal dynamics in forest cover of the Bodrog river catchment for period 1990-2010
- 1.3 Survey of forestry infrastructure in the Bodrog catchment, especially of road network, its density and quantitative and qualitative properties.
WP 2 Harmonised assessment of flood predisposing factors and historical occurrence of floods in the Bodrog river catchment
- 2.1 Adoption of methodology for flood predisposing factors assessment in the Bodrog river catchment.
- 2.2 Analysis of historical flood occurrence in relation to extreme precipitation events and landscape structure in the Bodrog river catchment using the adopted methodology
- 2.3 Identification of flood predisposing factors and integrated flood risk in the Bodrog river catchment
WP 3 Assessment of forest effect on watershed`s hydrology focusing on flood prevention in the Bodrog river catchment and simulation of forest effect on watershed`s hydrology
- 3.1. Development of basic concepts for using of forest effect on watershed`s hydrology in terms of flood prevention, including using of communities of tree species growing outside the forest
- 3.2 Development of methodology for the assessment and assessment of the landscape degradation in terms of increased flood risk
- 3.3 Simulation of forest effect on watershed`s hydrology using distributed hydrological models
WP 4 Synthesis of the acquired knowledge and proposal of flood prevention measures
- 4.1 Definition of target (optimal) landscape structure and development of propositions for re-allocation of ecosystems in the landscape. Recommendations for optimization of landcover in terms of flood potential reduction.
- 4.2 Recommendations for the improvement of forest management methods and practices for strengthening forest flood-regulatory capacity; emphasizing the trade-off between flood risk reduction and forest production.
- 4.3 Efficiency evaluation of proposed management, biological and technical measures (regulation of torrents riverbed, maintenance of forest roads).
- 4.4 Proposal of the compensating financial mechanisms for measures on improvement of forest hydrological role in the Bodrog river catchment
WP 5 Field demonstration of relations between forest management and flood risk
- 5.1 Selection of sites for demonstrating the relations between forest management and flood risk
- 5.2 Field workshops for forest management authorities on demonstration sites
WP 6 Dissemination of the results, proposed measures and optimisation of methods for management plans
- 6.1 Round tables for forest management, environment authorities on the issue of interrelation of the forest management practices with flood potential
- 6.2 Seminars for community representatives and stakeholders
- 6.3 Public awareness campaign
- 6.4 Concluding event
WP 7 Project management, monitoring and reporting
