Urban Flooding and Sustainable Land Management – Polish Perspective

There have been many events connected with damaging abundance of water in Polish towns in recent decades. Some of them have been caused by flood waves on rivers passing through towns. Others have been caused by intense precipitation overwhelming the capacity of storm sewer systems. A brief review of the topical area of urban floods in Poland in last decades is provided. Mechanisms responsible for increase of flood risk are discussed in a systematic manner. In result of multiple mechanisms, the frequency of inundations has increased and is likely to increase further. Examples of sustainable management issues related to floods are reviewed. Flood protection and flood preparedness are examined in the sustainability context.