The starting point for the new NVE report is more extreme weather in the form of more torrential rain, higher sea levels, and more landslides, mudslides and mudslides. More about the report here. NVE manager Siss-May Edvardsen says that today there is still a mismatch between water quantities and the ability to absorb them, and this becomes “more challenging with increasing water quantities in a changing climate”. – In the case of major flood events today, we find that the river course is not adapted to the water volumes. The river course should therefore be widened, she says. – As soon as rivers overflow, there are calls for power development, channelization and flood tunnels, says Norce researcher Ulrich Pulg, who has led the project. He adds: – But the most important tool is not security measures, although that also helps. The most important tool is good spatial planning. By widening the river course, we can handle the increased flood risk and increase the natural values, says NVE manager Siss-May Edvardsen. Photo: Catchlight/NVE – Wider river courses bring an environmental benefit. The report criticizes “traditional methods of flood protection, which can have a negative environmental impact”, and further says that wider river courses bring an environmental benefit. – Repetitive digging in the river bed is not beneficial for flora and fauna. By widening the river course, we can manage the increased flood risk and increase the natural values, says Edvardsen. The relationship between flood protection and nature conservation was last on the agenda when damage reports for more than NOK 100 million were received in Voss. Afterwards, Høgre and Frp argued that more power development in the rivers will make it possible to “portion” the water and release it in manageable quantities during the spring thaw or autumn storms. According to a report from Forbybar Noreg, Norwegian energy storage facilities save the country more than NOK 100 million in flue damage each year. The new NVE report thus represents a third way, where nature conservation and flood protection go hand in hand. – There is an example where laying stones on river sides has worsened the problem of speeding up the water instead of slowing it down. In addition, it has been devastating for the fish. That restoration and a more natural course of the river appear to be good flood prevention is good news for everyone who is concerned with life in and along the river, says Birgit Oline Kjerstad (SV). – Larger flumes require us to use the entire toolbox Ulrich Pulg, Norce – Larger flumes require us to use the entire width of the toolbox for flume risk management. If we include river restoration and other nature-based solutions, climate adaptation can not only give us more security, but also improve the environmental conditions along watercourses – and thereby contribute to reaching our statutory environmental goals. The Storting demands that we restore at least 15% of mink nature. The new nature agreement increases this ambitious target to 30% and the protected area is also to be increased to 30%. If we do this in the right way in wetlands, flood zones and river courses, we get a better adaptation to the climate and greater safety with the purchase. Jenny Følling, mayor of Sunnfjord – The municipalities are constantly experiencing the consequences of more extreme weather. Extreme rainfall causes great damage. It triggers soil and mudslides and mudslides that destroy road networks, challenge settlement and cause major material damage. Flammable zone maps and landslide hazard maps are the basis for spatial planning, and the area is included in the area section of the municipal plan as control zones. This means that it cannot be built in areas with a risk of landslides or landslides. This also means that measures must be taken for houses and buildings located in flood zones or landslide areas. I agree with NVE that measures must be taken in the course of the river and space must be set aside in the area plans to handle the flood risk, but it is unclear who pays for such measures. It is also not so easy to set aside space in the site plan to handle the risk of flooding when there are already houses there. This will be demanding to handle in the future and will involve large costs. Birgit Oline Kjerstad (SV) – A better knowledge base for what is wise to do to prevent damage from fluff is good. Climate change is a reality and it is demanding for many municipalities to adapt, but I think it is absolutely necessary to take this very seriously. It is not for fun that guidelines are given for spatial planning work in this area. It is about avoiding danger and major material losses. There are frighteningly great powers in flume water. The relationship between flood protection and nature conservation was last on the agenda when damage reports totaling more than NOK 100 million were received in Voss last autumn. Photo: KENNETH KLEPPE / UAS VOSS – We support the use of nature-based solutions – Water power regulation can be an effective dampener of flooding. We are concerned that this will not be limited by the introduction of new conditions, says Vegard Pettersen, who is business policy adviser at Fornybar Noreg. The leader of the National Association of Hydropower Municipalities (LVK), Jon Rolf Næss, says that one solution does not get in the way of the other: There are river courses that can be expanded; and there are unregulated waterways that should be regulated. – Flam challenges will come more often, it is therefore understandable that municipalities want to prevent this, he says. – It is important that the municipalities see sufficient space Leader of the Nature Conservation Association, Truls Gulowsen, says that the advice in the reports is in line with the Nature Agreement that was signed before Christmas. The agreement emphasizes the importance of restoring rivers, streams, wetlands and floodplain forests. – Because of the important ecological function of these areas and previous unwise construction, says Gulowsen. In May, the program committee in Vestland Høgre advocated going through the protection of all Vestland rivers, among other things out of consideration for silt mitigation. Photo: Tim Tønnessen / news The NVE leader also offers a political encouragement: – Often there will not be room to widen the river course sufficiently due to existing residential areas. It is therefore important that the municipalities consider sufficient space along rivers and streams in their spatial planning work. Storting representative for Venstre, Ola Elvestuen, calls the report “yet another reason why demands must be made that all municipalities must clean up old plans”. – This shows that it is crucial that municipalities, but also national authorities, follow up with measures to expand and restore areas around rivers and streams in order to have better flood protection. At the same time, destroyed wetland areas and other important natural areas that limit the risk of flooding must be restored where possible.
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Norwegian rivers must be given more space – news Vestland
