The State Water Holding Polish Waters is the main entity responsible for water management in Poland and it employs more than 6,300 people.
Our Holding comprises:
- 330 Water Management Stations,
- 50 Catchment Management Boards,
- 11 Regional Water Management Authorities, and
- National Water Management Authority.
The following are under our care:
- 100,000 km of rivers, streams, and brooks,
- 32,000 damming structures, and
- 8,638 km of flood embankments.
Our mission is to protect Poland’s population against floods and drought and provide sustainable water management in order to conserve our water resources and ensure good water quality for the present and future generations.
As part of these activities, we implement, among others, the Odra-Vistula Flood Management Project (OVFMP). It is the government’s largest coherent program of this type carried out in Poland which serves to support the development of water management. The OVFMP is financed with funds from Poland’s state budget, the EU, the World Bank, and the Council of Europe Development Bank. We carry out the Project’s investments in the Lower, Border, and Middle Odra River region, but also in the Kłodzko Land, in the Vistula River basin, in the area of Tarnobrzeg and Sandomierz, and in the San River mouth area as well as near Kraków. The objective of the OVFMP is to protect the health and life of the population living in riverside areas as well associated infrastructure against the effects of flood events.
The Odra-Vistula Flood Management Project is monitored and supervised by the Project Coordination Unit operating within the National Water Management Authority, which is an agency of the State Water Holding Polish Waters.
The scope of activities of the Odra-Vistula Flood Management Project Coordination Unit includes the following, in particular:
- To carry out the activities specified in the Loan Agreement, in accordance with orders, decisions, and guidelines of the Project Steering Committee, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank), and the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB),
- To manage contracts entered into for the purpose of the implementation of the Project,
- To perform supervision over the Project Implementation Units and the Implementing Agencies (hereinafter jointly “Project Implementation Units”) with respect to the implementation of the activities included in the Projects,
- To provide technical assistance and support to the Project Implementation Units in the implementation of the Project’s activities, including with respect to the application of the World Bank procedures relating to procurement, environmental safeguards, and social safeguards,
- To organize for the Project Implementation Units training on issues related to the implementation of the Projects;
- To prepare Annual Work Programs under the Projects and assess the progress in their implementation,
- To supervise project works and assess their progress,
- To provide day-to-day coordination and monitoring of funds allocated for the implementation of the Projects and to co-participate in the management of project funds,
- To provide reporting, including the preparation of quarterly reports on the implementation of the Project and their submission to the World Bank, the CEB, and the Steering Committee,
- To support provide technical and formal support in the process of disbursement of funds under the Projects, in accordance with the conditions and procedures set out in the Loan Agreement and national legislation,
- To support or carry out activities related to the preparation of new sub-projects associated with the flood protection strategy and resulting from the implementation of the Projects,
- To cooperate on a regular basis with the World Bank and the CEB, including among others conducting project-related correspondence, organizing visits of representatives of the World Bank and the CEB as well as implementation support missions, and participating in such visits and missions,
- To perform any other tasks set out in the Loan Agreement and any other tasks commissioned by the Polish Waters President associated with the implementation of the Projects.
The PCU operates based on the following documents, among others:
- The Loan Agreement, dated May 11, 2007 between the Republic of Poland and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (No. 7436 POL) to co-finance the Odra River Basin Flood Protection Project,
- The Loan Agreement dated September 10, 2015 between the Republic of Poland and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (No. 8524 – PL) to co-finance the Odra-Vistula Flood Management Project,
- Order No. 34 of the Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation dated December 20, 2019 regarding taking over the implementation of the tasks of a state budget entity – The Odra-Vistula Flood Management Project Coordination Unit, by the State Water Holding Polish Waters,
- Order No. 35 of the Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation dated December 31, 2019 regarding the liquidation of a state budget entity – The Odra-Vistula Flood Management Project Coordination Unit,
- The Water Law Act of July 20, 2017 (consolidated text Dz. U. (Journal of Laws) of 2018 item 2268, as amended);
- The Regulation of the Minister of Environment of December 28, 2017 on the grant of a charter to the State Water Holding Polish Waters (Dz. U. (Journal of Laws) of 2017, item 2506),
- The Rules and Regulations of the State Water Holding Polish Waters, Order No. 80/2019 of the President of the State Water Holding Polish Waters of December 31, 2019 regarding the establishment of the Rules and Regulations of the State Water Holding Polish Waters.
History of the operation of the Odra-Vistula Flood Management Project Coordination Unit
The Project Coordination Unit (PCU), as a dedicated organizational unit, was established in 2007 to provide day-to-day coordination of the implementation of the Odra River Basin Flood Protection Project (ORFPP) and since 2008, after its organizational structure was set up, the PCU performed the coordination role in relation to the individual stakeholders of the ORFPP. By Order No. 10/2015 of August 4, 2015 the President of the National Water Management Authority (KZGW) amended the order establishing the PCU and its charter by changing the PCU’s name to the Odra-Vistula Flood Management Project Coordination Unit and expanding the scope of its activities to include the coordination of the implementation of the Odra-Vistula Flood Management Project. Due to the entry into force of the provisions of the Water Law Act on January 1, 2018, there was an organizational change as a result of which the PCU, as a state budget entity, reported to the Ministry of Environment (the Minister of Environment was competent for the government administration section “water management”). On January 12, 2018 the President of the Council of Ministers assigned the management of the water management section to the Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation based on the relevant Regulation. This Regulation was published on January 12, 2018 with effect from January 9, 2018. As a result of these changes, the PCU became a state budget entity reporting to the Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation.
According to Order No. 34 of the Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation dated December 20, 2019, as of January 1, 2020 the State Water Holding Polish Waters took over the tasks of a state budget entity – The Odra-Vistula Flood Management Project Coordination Unit.
Furthermore, on January 1, 2020 the Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation put in liquidation a state budget entity – The Odra-Vistula Flood Management Project Coordination Unit (Order No. 35 of the Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation dated December 31, 2019 regarding the liquidation of a state budget entity – The Odra-Vistula Flood Management Project Coordination Unit).
Since January 1, 2020 the Odra-Vistula Flood Management Project Coordination Unit has operated as an organizational unit within the structure of the National Water Management Authority, which is an agency of the State Water Holding Polish Waters.
The Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation decided to liquidate a state budget entity – The Odra-Vistula Flood Management Project Coordination Unit – as of January 1, 2020 and to reestablish it within the structure of the National Water Management Authority.
