On June 13, 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers (CK) approved the informative report developed by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (MoEPRD) on the project "Prevention of flood risks in Jēkabpils" (the Project), which foresees a solution for attracting funding as quickly as possible for the Jēkabpils protective dam strengthening project in order to reduce the recurrence of the threat of such a disaster in the next winter - spring, and the reconstruction works of protective dams could be started already this summer - autumn.
Despite many measures taken so far, they do not completely prevent the threat of flooding in Jēkabpils, as was also proved by the flood of January 2023. According to the conclusions of the meeting of the Crisis Management Council on January 15, 2023, the flood in the Jēkabpils region was recognized as a threat or disaster of a regional scale natural (hydrological) disaster.
The informative report foresees the transfer of European Union (EU) fund funding from the EU Cohesion Policy Program 2021-2027 specific support objective (SSO) measure 2.1.3.1 for the implementation of the Project. "Flood and Coastal Erosion Measures of National Importance" before the overall pre-selection, as the implementation of the actions cannot be postponed to 2024. Financing can be planned in the amount of 85% of the eligible costs, or 10 757 297 euro. The co-financing part of 15% of the total attributable costs of the planned works, or 1 898 347 euro, is encouraged to be covered from the state budget.
SLLC “Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre” has carried out a flood risk assessment* and, based on its results, identified areas where there is or could be a flood risk. According to the criteria in the assessment of areas affected by flood risk, the city of Jēkabpils has been identified as a flood risk area of national significance.
In order to ensure the safe operation of the protective dams on the right and left banks of the Daugava in the coming years and to protect the city of Jēkabpils and its inhabitants from flood risks, ensuring a high-quality and safe living environment and competitive economic activity, it is necessary to take measures in three stages - urgent works (to be carried out during the next two construction seasons ), works in the period from 2024 to 2025 and after 2025.
By the end of 2024, it is necessary to rebuild the left bank of the protective dam for a length of 5.2 km, which will significantly reduce the risks of flooding and erosion (suffusion and filtration) for the existing protective dam. Without rebuilding the protective dam and the associated engineering networks, there is a high risk that the protective dam will collapse completely, uncontrollably flooding the greater part of the city in case of repeated floods. Inflow of ice and ice mass into the city is also possible.
It is also necessary to rebuild the right bank of the protective dam for a length of 1.2 km and to create additional anti-flood green infrastructure, which will contribute not only to the smooth outflow of the incoming water flow, but can also effectively clean the pollution accompanying the runoff. Consequently, a combined flood protection infrastructure is being created.
By implementing all three parts of the Project, flooding risks will be reduced in an area of ~ 261 ha in the territory of the city of Jēkabpils. According to the information provided by the municipality, based on previously conducted studies, the planned activities will not increase the risk of flooding in other densely populated areas (including Līvāni and Pļaviņas, as well as the surrounding counties), as the mentioned works will not affect the longitudinal fall of the Daugava River and will not reduce the cross-sectional area of the Daugava River. The impact of the fortifications and the rebuilding of protective dams will not affect the water flow capacity of the Daugava in the area adjacent to the rebuilding.
*Initial flood risk assessment for the years 2019-2024 (approved by order No. 1-2/35 of the minister of VARAM of March 6, 2019), available at: https://videscentrs.lvgmc.lv/lapas/udens-apsaimniekosana-un-pludu-parvaldiba, viewed 17.04.2023.
