The 1998 flood in Transcarpathia is a natural disaster caused by heavy rainfall on November 3-5. Then the banks of the Tisza River, Tereblya, Teresva, Borzhava, Latoritsa and others flooded almost 120 settlements. About 350,000 people were in the disaster area. The villages of Vynohradivshchyna were most affected at that time.
No less catastrophic for the region was the flood of 2001. In order to further prevent natural disasters, a project of transboundary cooperation “SAFETISZA” – “Safe Tisza” was created between Ukraine and Hungary, which is aimed at protecting the territories and population of the Vinogradovsky district of Transcarpathian region and the region of Szabolcs-Szotmar-Bereg and the flood waters.
The main infrastructural element of the project in the Ukrainian territory is the reconstruction of the 9.5 km left bank of the Tisza River dam in the area between the villages of Tekovo and Gethenya, as well as the construction of a flood center in the village of Tysobiken in the Vynohradiv district.
Area of activity: Joint Ukrainian-Hungarian Batar Reclamation System (Vynohradiv district of Transcarpathian region and in Szabolcs-Szotmar-Bereg region in Hungary).
Objective: To strengthen the transboundary management of water resources and reduce the risk of flood damage within the framework of the Batar Reclamation System. The project is aimed at strengthening the stability of the regions in the border area of Ukraine and Hungary through the implementation of integrated flood control activities, which will lead to increased adaptation to climate change and improve the joint management of natural disasters in the Tisza River basin.
Result:
The project focuses on the following main areas:
- Protecting settlements and territories from the harmful effects of floods on both sides of the border by improving flood control systems.
Implementation of a complex of measures for flood protection on both sides of the border – reconstruction of the Tisza dam, construction of coastal reinforcement, reconstruction of main canals, construction of hydraulic structures, expansion of monitoring system, development of flood protection centers – will greatly improve the current state of the flood protection system in the riverside of the Tisza and Tour rivers. These measures are a priority within the framework of the Joint Ukrainian-Hungarian Counter-Flood Program and are in line with the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region.
- Improvement of the environmental status of the Batar system through the reconstruction of canals.
Due to the geographical location and impact of climate change, the project’s target area suffers from frequent dry periods. Canal reconstruction works will change the water regime for watering canals and restoring old age during boundary levels, as well as improve flood protection. Such measures are particularly important given the location of valuable nature reserves in the target area.
- Raising public awareness of flood protection and nature conservation.
The project envisages communication activities aimed at building mutual relations between stakeholders on the organization of flood protection, as well as raising awareness of local communities about water and environmental issues through a series of educational activities for students and young people. Ecosphere NGOs will conduct training sessions with schoolchildren to increase the environmental knowledge of young people and encourage them to be cautious about water and nature conservation.
An important result will be the involvement of the youth of rural communities in the study of the river ecosystem and the protection of the Tisza River.
You can find out more about this at the Tisza River Basin Authority website and in the Safe Tisza story.
Partners: Tisza River Basin Water Management (main contractor), Upper-Tiszai Water Management Directorate (Hungary), Vynohradiv Interregional Water Management, Vynohradiv Regional State Administration.
Keywords: sustainable water management, river ecosystem, floods, eco-education
