Flood Risk & Climate Change

In the face of climate change, today and in the future, disasters are challenges that every country must deal with. There are various tools for flood risk management, including structural measures such as dykes and dams, as well as non-structural measures such as insurance and zoning. Dams are known to retain water during rainfall events and then release it gradually to reduce the likelihood of damage to the affected area. If storage capacity is insufficient during extreme rainfall and snowmelt events, at some point dams may fail to hold water and even increase existing flooding or cause flooding. In very rare cases, dams may break and flood the areas below them. Dam failure can cause significant material damage, loss of life and environmental damage.

For over 15 years, Energy Point’s experts – design engineers and scientists – have been actively working for the benefit of the institutions responsible for disaster protection in Bulgaria, as well as for the Ministry of Environment and Water and each of the four basin directorates in the country. Moreover, in its research activities focusing on floods and climate change, Energy Point has a long-term international cooperation with the Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management at TU Vienna.

Energy Point are specialized in conducting a range of activities in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction Prevention.

Energy Point experts have participated in disaster protection and climate change assessment activities such as:

1. Participation in expert working groups under the orders of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria for the development of the National Disaster Protection Program 2008-2014 and the annual plans for its implementation, as well as the National Disaster Protection Plan in the part “Flood Protection”;

2. Participation in the team of experts for the development of the Handbook for Risk Assessment and Essential Requirements for the Scope and Content of Expertise on Potentially Hazardous Objects with the client Ministry of Emergency Situations, 2007;
3. Development of the National Methodology under Article 187, paragraph 2, item 6 of the Water Act for Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment, Contracting Authority: Ministry of Environment and Water;

4. Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment according to the methodology under Article 187, paragraph 2, item 6 of the Water Act, Client: Basin Directorate “Black Sea Region” ;

5. Modelling, analysis and creation of flood hazard and risk maps with the following contracting authorities: the Black Sea Basin Directorate, the West Aegean River Basin Directorate and the Danube Basin Directorate;

6. Hydrological modelling and analyses in the project “Assessment of pressure and impact on surface and groundwater from climate change and assessment of water availability for economic sectors”, Contracting Authority: Ministry of Environment and Water 2014-2016;

7. Participation in the project “Analysis and assessment of the risk and vulnerability of sectors in the Bulgarian economy to climate change” under the project TA-2012- “Implementation of studies, analyses, strategies in connection with the programming of the operational program in the environment sector for the period 2014-2020” Contracting Authority: Ministry of Environment and Water 2013;

8. Participation in the DAMSAFE project of DG Civil Protection – Ministry of Interior, co-financed under the EU Civil Protection Financial Instrument, 2011-2013;

9. Participation in the project Flood Warning System Establishment in the Arda River Basin for Minimizing the Risk in the Cross Border Area with acronym ARDAFORECAST, 2014 with the contracting authority East Aegean River Basin Directorate;

10. Evaluation of technical and economic feasibility of existing options and development of alternative technical solutions for flood protection at the site of Devin Electrical substation, Contracting Authority: National Electric Company 2010.

Representative services and areas of competence: