engleski

Hydrological Aspects of Nature-Based Solutions in Flood Mitigation in the Danube River Basin in Croatia: Green vs. Grey Approach

Flood protection based around “grey” infrastructure measures, such as dikes and dams, comprise traditional flood alleviation schemes. Besides their advantages, reflected in well-established design principles and construction techniques, they cannot fully respond to the challenge of increasing trends of flood magnitudes driven by impacts of climate and land use changes. The application of nature-based solutions for flood mitigation, such as providing “space for water” and inclusion of natural retention areas, provides more flexible and effective solution that may also enhance local biodiversity. This chapter presents a short overview of large flood risk management schemes in the Republic of Croatia with the focus on schemes that utilize nature- based solution aspects on larger scale. The contribution of nature-based solutions was studied through a comparison of longitudinal distribution of peak flows in the two 20-year periods along the major schemes in the Danube River basin in Croatia. The lower sections of the Sava, Mur, Drava and Danube Rivers host exceptional examples of large natural retention areas, such as Lonjsko polje, Kopački rit and Drava floodplains. In addition to flood alleviation impact, the conservation of biodiversity in the Lonjsko polje and Kopački rit wetland areas is also emphasized.

Croatia, Danube River Basin, Flood mitigation, Nature-based solutions, Wetlands

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