BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18. Poland is changing its approach to water management as growing pressure on water resources forces countries to move away from traditional river regulation policies, Cezary Mądry, Associate Professor from Adam Mickiewicz University, said during an event organized by the Azerbaijan NGO Agency within the framework of WUF13, Trend reports.
He noted that Poland has one of the lowest levels of water resources per capita in Europe.
According to him, the United Nations defines water security at around 1,700 cubic meters per capita, while Poland’s показатель ranges between 1,300 and 1,600 cubic meters per person.
“We’ve got a huge problem with water resources,” he said.
Mądry explained that water availability differs significantly across the country. Northern regions benefit from post-glacial landscapes, while southern areas have mountain water systems, whereas central Poland faces the biggest challenges.
The expert said that during the 20th century water management policies focused on controlling rivers through engineering solutions, including river regulation and wetland drainage.
“Right now we try to live with water,” he said, adding that excessive river regulation has proven ineffective.
According to Mądry, modern water management increasingly relies on green and blue infrastructure and nature-based solutions rather than strict technical control systems.
