VISFRIM - Project presentation in the transmission S-prehodi

The Visfrim project was presented at the TV program S-prehodi on Wednesday 18 March 2021 on the TV channel Koper Capodistria: specifically, the episode was dedicated to the management of hydraulic risk, a particularly topical issue due to the fervent climate changes underway. The initiative was attended by: the mayor of Miren-Kostanjevica (project partner), Mauricij Humar, and Luka Štravs, deputy director general at the Slovenian Ministry of the Environment, who explained how the Vipava river is one of the areas characterized by a potentially significant flood risk. There are 86 in Slovenia, of which 6 in the Vipava River area alone, one of the most flood-prone river basins in Slovenia.  In this context, the Visfrim project envisages, among other activities, the realization of four structural investments that will protect the lives and properties of citizens living in the municipalities of Nova Gorica, Miren-Kostanjevica, Šempeter-Vrtojba and Postojna.

»In this part of Slovenia, floods are causing exstensive damage: we are therefore very interested in this project, which reflects the excellent cooperation between local communities and the State. We wanted this project to involve concrete structural investments and not just studies and methodologies, and we have succeeded,« said Luka Štravs, adding: »The Visfrim project includes four structural mitigation measures, three of which have already been completed. The involvement of local communities has been crucial.«

Štravs again: »In the field of hydraulic risk management, we are looking for sustainable, natural and innovative solutions, using local wood and stone materials. It is a green approach, which has less impact on the environment and allows the intervention to integrate better into the context in which it is inserted. We decided to follow this approach also in VISFRIM, despite the fact that the embankments involved are more than 100 meters long: if local materials are used, the embankment will have a better aesthetic appearance. Of course the main function of the intervention is not the aesthetic aspect ».

And while in Slovenia the completion of the structural investments is underway, the Italian partners and the Slovenian Environment Agency are working on the development of a web platform as part of a non-structural flood mitigation measure:: the Citizens' Observatory. This approach also involves the use of mobile apps through which citizens can actively participate in the environmental monitoring process. The data sent by citizens will in fact be collected on the web platform and can then be examined and used by experts in the field. »Currently, the activities relating to the Citizens' Observatory are in full swing and all this will make hydraulic risk management more efficient as the cognitive framework of the territory will be more complete for the decison-makers and citizens will also be less vulnerable to floods", he said. stated Štravs.

The realization of risk mitigation works with low environmental impact, together with the creation of new jobs, and the planned use of green IT tools, which aim to support a greater active participation of citizens in the processes of environmental monitoring, and in particular floods, testify to the foresight of the Visfrim project partners.

It is possible to review the entire episode in Slovenian on this link: https://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/s-prehodi/174761786