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Prague city centre
is protected against
floods by combination
of fixed and mobile
barriers
The Climate
Challenge
Prague, the capital city
of the Czech Republic, is
located in a temperate climate
zone. Vltava River, the
longest in the country, flows
through its historic centre.
In 2002 Prague experienced
severe 500-year flooding
with total damages of CZK
24 billion (Eur 1 billion).
This event was recognised
as one of the most expensive
weather-related disasters
in the city’s history.
Future climate scenarios
furthermore predict an
increase in the number and
intensity of extreme events
such as flooding. Wetter
winters, dryer summers with
more precipitation extremes
and weather fluctuations in
general are also expected.
The Adaptation
Response
A flood protection system in
Prague had been developed
for decades, but after the
500-year flood in 2002, implementation
of flood control
measures by the Prague
municipality substantially
sped up. Moreover, the original
plans were upgraded to
increase resilience against
extreme flood events, to
protect most parts of Prague
from floods with a 1 to 500
years return period.
The flood control measures
implemented include fixed
barriers (levees, dikes), mobile
barriers and additional
measures such as closures
and pumping systems in the
canalisation. The total length
of flood protection measures
(fixed barriers, solid concrete
walls and mobile barriers)
after the completion of
all stages is app. 19,255 km,
of which mobile measures
are 6,925 km.
116 Coastal Zones/Human Settlements & Infrastructure