The impact of hydrological research, municipal authorities, and residents on rainwater management in Gdańsk (Poland) in the process of adapting the city to climate change

Abstract

Aim of the study: The city of Gdańsk faces changing climatic conditions that result in a higher frequency of extreme weather events. In response to the increasingly frequent appearance of flash floods, scientific research was carried out on changes in the probability of the occurrence of maximum daily precipitation in Gdańsk. The purpose of this paper is to show the role of hydrological research (science), decisions of local authorities and the engagement of residents in the process of adapting Gdańsk to climate change. Material and methods: The hydrological analysis was carried out using rainfall observations from the Gdańsk Rębiechowo station (1974-2021). Log-normal distribution was used as a statistical model for the precipitation probability distribution. To show the role of the city authorities’ decisions, the methodology developed and used by Gdańsk Water company for rainwater management was presented. To emphasize the importance of city residents in climate adaptation process, the methods adopted by city authorities to involve citizens in the advisory process are discussed, namely Civic Panels and the Gdańsk Climate Change Forum. Results and conclusions: The probability distributions of maximum precipitation for different periods were developed, showing a substantial increase of precipitation with a probability of p=1%. Consequently, changes were introduced in the rainwater management practices by the company Gdańsk Water. Being aware of rising flood hazard, Gdańsk City Hall has embraced a plan for adapting the city to climatic changes by 2030. The local authorities decided to involve citizens in the decision-making process. To this end, discussion panels were organized, and the Gdańsk Climate Change Forum was initiated.

Keywords

• gdańsk
• climate change
• urban flood
• extreme rainfall
• city adaptation