site.btaCombined Maps of Flood Risk Areas to Be Drafted by Basin Directorates

Minister of Environment and Water Manol Genov has instructed the four Basin Directorates in Bulgaria to draft and submit combined maps of areas with significant potential flood risk, the Environment and Water Ministry said in a press release on Thursday. The measure is part of the Ministry's efforts to improve the efficiency of water management and flood risk prevention throughout the country.

The maps will combine data from the cadastral map, satellite images, and excerpts from specialized maps at an appropriate scale to provide better visualization and analysis of vulnerable areas. The task will be implemented as a priority in the Black Sea Basin Directorate in Varna, where the pilot model for integrating spatial data will be applied.

Earlier on Thursday, a commission from the Ministry arrived in Tsarevo to survey the areas affected by the October 3 flooding in the municipality. Dam walls, bridge structures, dry riverbeds, rivers, and problem areas with flooding were inspected.

Tsarevo Mayor Marin Kirov said, as quoted by the Municipality's press centre: "We want to see clearly the path of water from outside urban areas to populated areas. An analysis of the problem areas needs to be carried out, because more than just cleaning is required. The Municipality has prepared projects for preventive measures, and we will only be able to cope with the help of the State. It is clear that damage was caused to old facilities, to old drains on the main roads, and new ones need to be built." According to him, the newly built facilities have withstood the test, the new dam walls above Lozenets are sound, they have absorbed the high tidal wave, which has prevented even greater flooding in the village. The Arapya Bridge is structurally sound, but the runoff and water outside urban areas have destroyed the asphalt pavement in places.