VISFRIM – Workshop Citizens' Observatory

On Wednesday 13.4.2022, a workshop titled Citizens' Observatory was organised within the VISFRIM project, the aim of which was, on the one hand, to present an online platform, that will enable a multi-directional exchange of information related to flood safety between citizens, the expert community and river basin managers, and, on the other hand, to obtain opinions for upgrading and improvement of the web platform. The workshop was held at the Monument of Peace on Cerje.
At the beginning of the workshop, Ingrid Arh and Damjan Dvoršek from the Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO) presented some general information about the project and the flood situation in Slovenia and the Vipava Valley, as well as the related legal basis (Floods Directive). Other current results of the project were also presented, in particular the structural measures implemented, which, in addition to the web platform, represent activities aimed at reducing flood risk.
The aim of the Citizens' Observatory web platform is to establish a system where everyone can report about the state of the watercourse and at the same time review the observations of other citizens. Observations containing information on the current water level, possible damage to infrastructure or blocked channels thus present an additional source of information for decision-makers and citizens alike. An example of good practice for entering and reviewing observations was presented using the Norwegian application Varsom Regobs, which is also available in Slovenian and can be downloaded and used by users on their phones. Observations entered into the Varsom Regobs application are visible on the Citizen's Observatory web platform.
The presentations were followed by a discussion with the workshop participants, where ideas and suggestions were gathered to improve the two-way communication between citizens and decision-makers, and to improve the online platform.