Sharing expertise at the Savinja River, Slovenia
The severe floods of the Savinja River in August 2023 led to some emergency decision making. However, this may have lacked a wider expertise. During the Revivo Institute's first stakeholder workshop in the context of RIWET in November 2024, our Slovenian partner introduced the idea of setting up an independent, scientific Freshwater Task Force (FTF) focused on water and fish management. One key suggestion from the group was to take a field trip to see the situation at the Savinja River firsthand and discuss things from different scientific perspectives.
Stakeholder excursion
The Savinja is the main river of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps in Slovenia. It flows into the Sava River at the town of Zidani Most and often floods. The Savinja has a length of 101.75 km and covers a catchment area of 1,847.7 km2. REVIVO invited stakeholders from various sectors, as well as local NGOs to join their excursion to review the measures already in place and those being planned for the Savinja River. During the group's trip, there was ample opportunity to share experiences from the floods from different perspectives and work together to address key issues in line with EU guidelines.
Field Trip Highlights
RIWET Project Manager Eva Horvet was very pleased with the results of this engagement with local stakeholders. "We visited four important spots along the Savinja River to see how both human activities and natural forces are affecting the area," she explained. " In Letuš, for instance, we looked at emergency flood protection measures and the upcoming plans to ensure flood safety for urban areas."
The group then explored a preserved floodplain forest at the bridge over the Savinja in Rečica, Trnovec and looked at how land use is affecting the river’s natural flow. At Radmirje the topic was soil erosion as a result of the floods washing away fertile soil along the river and the efforts to restore it for agriculture.
Continuing on to Primož near Ljubno, the group looked at three options for protecting homes from future floods: relocating, building a flood wall, or exploring other solutions. Last stop was Struge. "Here we saw landslide-prone areas that could potentially block the river and ultimately cause even worse flooding." Eva added.
Key Takeaways
REVIVO has shared the key takeaways of this Savinja River excursion with the RIWET consortium with a view to developing an improved approach to flood management.
Involving local people: Local stakeholders like fishermen, firefighters, and foresters played an important role in flood recovery. Unfortunately, not all of these groups were heard or included in decision-making, which doesn’t always align with EU rules for participation.
Emergency measures and remediation: While emergency measures helped prevent more damage, some were carried out in areas that weren't at immediate risk. Many of these efforts didn’t consider the broader health of the river and its ecosystems, such as fish populations.
Missing expert input: Even after the immediate crisis passed, there was a lack of expert involvement in shaping long-term solutions. More than a year after the floods, there’s still no clear plan for moving people from the most vulnerable areas and, going forward, many experts haven’t been consulted on how to manage the river.
Need for teamwork across disciplines: Different sectors like forestry, agriculture, and environment weren’t well-coordinated. To manage the river in the long term, experts from all these fields need to work together.
Planning for flood safety: Flood-prone areas should focus on flood safety first, while agriculture should be a priority on fertile land. Areas at less flood risk could be designated for housing. Most of the work done after the floods focused on fixing things as they were, rather than exploring new, environmentally-friendly ways to prevent future flooding.
These lessons and further discussions will be part of the upcoming RIWET exchange of expertise (EEW3) meeting in Valencia on 24th - 26th March 2025.
With thanks to Eva Horvet and Damjan Habe-Habo.
Photos: Damjan Habe-Habo