Managing water – challenges for Poland

Abstract

The scope of water management is to meet water demand by supplying water to the population and to the national economy; to provide water to the users in such sectors as agriculture, energy, navigation, tourism and recreation, as well as the environment; and to warrant water safety (including protection against floods and droughts). Health and well-being of the Polish population depends on the quality of the environment, therein access to water in adequate quantity and quality. The country struggles with management of low water resources whose quality is still inadequate. The present paper, co-authored by numerous Polish experts, leaders in research and in practice, presents a critical view on the water management in Poland. Among the specific topical areas covered by this paper are: water needs, policies and legislation, as well as governance. The authors specify recommendations for a range of necessary, and urgent, actions to be taken by decision makers and politicians, who are responsible for formulation of appropriate principles and their implementation. Development of adequate legal framework at various spatial levels (EU, national, regional, local, as well as at the river basin scale) is of essential importance for warranting people’s well-being. It is necessary to establish control aimed at keeping the subtle balance between the governance, legal acts, and adequate financing.