Challenges

Flood protection facilities, like all technical structures, are subject to an ageing process and can be damaged during a flood event. Their protective function is therefore dependent on the condition and the maintenance of the facility. Operators of flood protection facilities are legally bound to maintain the structures under their responsibility in a fully functional condition. In order to preserve the operability of the flood protection facilities, operators implement maintenance management and monitor the status of the dams. In addition, for every flood protection facility specific operation plans have to be elaborated and presented to the responsible authorities. An effective maintenance management and condition monitoring is to be optimised. This requires another systematic condition assessment, data editing and presentation as well as evaluations of the flood protection facilities.

Description of the measure

  • Develop infrastructure and flood protection facilities further (including dam accompanying paths, communication facilities, access roads, and early warning and remote surveillance facilities)  
  • Rehabilitate and expand the flood protection facilities based on prioritisation
  • Create constantly available flood defence routes, dam accompanying paths and operating pathways
  • Conduct digital surveys, presentations and evaluations of the flood protection facilities and dams within the responsibility of viadonau by using a geo-information system
  • Enhance an effective maintenance management system for flood protection
  • Elaborate a nationally harmonised status classification for regular status evaluations of flood protection facilities
  • Collaborate in the development of technical guidelines (e.g. RIWA-T-BWS) and of standards in the field of flood protection (e.g. hazard zone planning)
  • Ensure redundancy of the water level information, the data management and the communication facilities
  • Develop planning tools for strategic decisions

Impacts

Impact indicators

Lead

Cooperation partners

Maintenance costs for flood protection facilities per year

Minimisation of flood risk

Number of protected subjects

viadonau on behalf
of Danube Flood Control Agency (DHK) and
Water Associations /
Federal Ministry of Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) / Austrian federal
states (Länder)
Federal Ministry of
Agriculture and Forestry, Environment and Water Management (bmlfuw), 
Water Associations, Transboundary Water Commissions, Verbund,
ÖWAV - Austrian Water and Wastewater Association