The representatives of Brno will discuss a new concept for flood protection

Brno - Brno city councilors will vote on a new flood protection proposal for Brno on Tuesday. The plan involves widening riverbeds in 16 sections, building embankments, securing sewers against rising water during heavy rains, and delimiting flood-prone areas. If the proposal is approved, the city hall will set priority areas and initiate design preparations so that the first constructions can begin within two years, utilizing European subsidies from the Operational Program for the Environment, said the mayor's deputy Martin Ander (SZ) today to ČTK.
    The complete flood protection for Brno will require about 3.5 billion crowns and its construction will take several decades.
    The areas most threatened by floods in Brno include the city districts of Husovice, Židenice, Žabovřesky, Komárov, and part of Old Brno, through which the rivers Svratka and Jihlava flow. In creating the priority list, the number of city residents that the measures would protect from flooding will be taken into account, as well as how technically and financially demanding the measures are. It will also be assessed how large an area would be flooded in the absence of such measures and how high the water would rise. A recent study analyzing the situation in the Dyje River Basin indicates that 30,000 people in Brno are not protected against floods. The city has about 370,000 inhabitants.
    "The proposal also includes the delimitation of new flood zones, where rivers would overflow in a controlled manner and cause the least damage. These include, for example, Žabovřeské meadows, the area around the Riviéra swimming pool, and others near Cacovický Island, Černovický Grove, and the Holásecká Lakes. All locations are designated in the land-use plan as non-buildable plots intended for greenery and parks," said Ander.
    According to him, the first flood protection measures could be implemented even sooner than in two years. The city intends to make their construction a condition for investors who wish to build in risk areas. This concerns, for example, the so-called Southern Center, where the main train station is to be relocated and where several investors plan to construct extensive commercial and residential complexes. A developer who will build on land by the Svratka River will have to contribute financially to flood protection.