Hidrológiai Közlöny, 2017 (97. évfolyam)
2017 / 3. szám - MANAGING ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS - FLOOD PROTECTION EXPERIENCES AND COOPERATION IN THE DANUBE RIVER BASIN - Bálint Márton Zoltán: Multilateral efforts towards basin flood control along the Tisza River: The Hungarian-Ukrainian joint Upper-Tisza flood development program
Multilateral efforts towards basin wide flood control along the Tisza River: The Hungarian- Ukrainian joint Upper-Tisza flood development program Márton Zoltán Bálint Lead Engineer, VIZITERV Environ Ltd. (E-mail: balint.marton@environ.hu ) Abstract The floods of the past decades, that have been historical in several instances, and caused several dike breaches are a clear indication, that the Upper-Tisza flood protection system needs urgent development, both on the Hungarian and on the Ukrainian side. The root causes were reviewed in severala assessments and studies, and just about all of them indicate that the growing trend of flood levels will continue in the future, so we have to prepare to cope with them as soon as possible. We discuss the legal background of the Hungarian-Ukrainian joint Upper-Tisza flood development program, taking a brief look at the articles of the program and its specific content that helps with managing a transboundary catchment. The foundations of the current joint program were laid by a Government Regulation (11 November 1997) signed by both the Ukrainian and the Hungarian Government. Since then both parties have understood the importance of a joint expert task force, and have worked together for better flood protection in the region. The flood development program is constantly updated, and provides an excellent framework for the related parties to apply for flood protection funding for the region. We also introduce the Hungarian, the Ukrainian and the joint elements of the current flood development program, some of which are already under implementation; others are still in a preparatory phase. In general, we are trying to present a transboundary cooperation that is viable and beneficial for all concerned parties. Keywords Flood control, Tisza River, Hungary, Ukraine, transboundary cooperation. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________73_ INTRODUCTION The flood-hydrologic and hydrometeorologic properties of the Upper-Tisza, as well as the statistics of the recent floods show an extremity (e.g.: frequency, intensity, retention time/reaction time, peak levels, etc.). These seem to confirm the findings of recent studies, which discuss in detail that in the near future we have to expect the formation of floods that are higher and different in their general flood-hydrologic properties as previously (.FETIVIZ1G and VIZITERV Consult Kft. 2004). Based on these - and several other considerations - the maintaining of reasonable risk level required that the decision makers in charge of flood protection rethink the development of the operative hydrological, flood forecasting and realtime flood risk calculations, and plan a new integrated flood information and resource optimized forecasting system. The system needs to have a renewed approach, has to be able to react to the current and future changes, is transboundary, and is of common interest and operation to affected parties (ENPI CBC HUSKROUA/lOOl/221 project 2013). This can be reached via a joint Upper-Tisza flood development program, where all parties are represented at an appropriate level, and the joint long term goals are clearly defined. The Upper- Tisza transboundary region (Figure 1) has had for a long time a good cooperation, which is beneficial for both parties, as it is an area that is prone to flood hazards. In the following I would like to briefly introduce the transboundary cooperation and its specific results (Hungarian- Ukrainian joint Upper-Tisza flood development program 2013). Hydrography of the Upper Tisza Region Originating from the eastern Carpathians the Tisza travels 200 kilometres through Ukraine, traveling across narrow valleys and reaching the Bereg-Szatmár plains by the Hungarian-Ukrainian border, there it is the natural border for a 50 km section of the Ukrainian and Romanian border. It steps into Hungary next to Tiszabecs and is the Hungarian-Ukrainian border on a 25 section, down until Tarpa. From Tarpa to Lónya the Tisza flows for 78 kilometres on Hungarian land, then it is again the natural border between Hungary and Ukraine, down until Győröcske. The next section of the Tisza is the Hungari- an-Slovakian border, then the river flows through Hungary, down until the southern border, where it passes on to Serbia, where, after a 160 kilometre long section, it joins the Danube (FETIVIZIG and VIZITERV Consult Kft. 2004). Figure 1. The affected area THE BACKGROUND OF THE TRANSBOUNDARY COOPERATION The legal basis of the current Hungarian-Ukrainian transboundary cooperation was laid between the government of the Republic of Hungary and the government of Ukraine, signed on 11. November 1997, through a Convention (117/1999. (VIII.6.) Government Regulation), which discusses transboundary water resource management. The Convention contains 17 articles and 2 annexes {Hungarian-Ukrainian joint Upper-Tisza flood development program 2013). All articles of the Convention are directly or indirectly connected to the joint preparation for flood events, furthermore the water damage response, hydrometeoro
