SUMMARY 07-08/2005

Flood Protection in the Upper Morava River Basin

In recent years the statels flood protection steps and measures have become a closely monitored activity. This is no surprise when it is recalled that the flooding that occurred in July 1997 caused billions of crowns in damage in Moravia and, even worse, resulted in the deaths of several dozen people. A similar catastrophe occurred again in August 2002, this time in Bohemia. There was a serious threat of flooding again in March 2000 and earlier this year. The catastrophic flooding recalled in the previous paragraph caused an inestimable amount of damage, regardless of whether it involved flooding from regulated or natural flows, or whether it involved winter or summer floodwater flows. Just several decades ago hydrologists were proudly declaring that the regulation of outflow conditions, which includes flood protection measures, involves a set of activities that are aimed at preventing the negative impact of flooding.

Today wesre less bold and instead of the word npreventp we speak of ilimitingr or ireducing that impact. The text provides information on how it is possible to minimise the damaging effects of flooding in the environment of the upper Morava River basin.

Flood Protection Measures in the City of Prague

Experiences from planning and construction work

The planning for the investment to be made into protecting the City of Prague against the damage caused by flooding to historical buildings, property, and the health of the population began in 1997. Mobile flood protection panels, measures to set up a network of drainage canals, and the installation of permanent anti-flood barriers are intended to prevent rising flood waters from spilling out of the riverbeds of the Vltava and Berounka Rivers and into the built-up areas of town, where they can cause serious damage. In 2004 and 2005 construction work peaked in the implementation of flood protection measures designed to protect the City of Prague. These measures were divided into eight basic stages. At present Stage 0002 Malá Strana (Small Side) and Kampa has been completed, and key work is currently under way on Stages 0003 Karlín and Libeň, E0004 Holešovice, Stromovka, E0005 Výtoň, Podolí and Smíchov, and E0008 Flood Protection for the City District of Modřany. By the end of 2005, the central parts of the city should be protected from flooding, and in the next phases work will be completed on the remaining parts in Stages 0006 Zbraslav and Radotín and E0007 Troja. Stage 0001 Staré Město (Old Town) and Josefov was already completed in 2000.

The Current Stage of Progress in the Preparation of PPP Projects in the Czech Republic

At the start of 2004 the government passed its first programme resolution, whereby it expressed its position on the issue of partnership between the public and the private sector. The PPP policy was included in the public finance reforms to the effect that it renders PPP a standard alternative resource for providing public services and infrastructure. However, the effort to fulfil this vision has also ushered in a number of problems. The main obstacle is that of setting up the necessary legislative framework for PPP projects. The process of creating new laws, particularly a law on public-private partnerships (licensing act) and the key related new law on public commissions, has already started. If the proposed new laws and the numerous necessary changes in related laws successfully pass through the approval process they will be adopted within the planned time frame, i.e. effective 1 January 2006.

Pilot PPP projects
With the adoption of government resolution no. 76/2005 the government acknowledged two pilot PPP projects and incorporated them as part of the Public-Private Partnership into the first wave of pilot projects. The projects are the Airport Connection (AIRCON) project and the project for accommodation and parking on the grounds of the Central Military Hospital Prague. Both projects are now in the initiation phase, i.e. the start of the preparation phase of the project. This phase will conclude with a call for public tender. Four PPP projects have proceeded to the second wave of pilot projects. At present they are in the approval process of the Ministry of Finance and the Government of the Czech Republic. The projects are:

• two sections of motorway D3 Tábor - Bošilec
• prison with surveillance
• justice halls.