A catalog of good practices was created in terms of hydrotechnical and maintenance works, along with establishing the principles for their implementation

The term "good practices" should be understood broadly as:

• properly carried out decision making process, starting with identifying the source of a problem and determining whether the given undertaking (hydrotechnical work, maintenance work) should be actually carried out;
• a special way of planning and implementing an undertaking, ensuring, in the long term, optimization of both the environmental effect, provided social and economic benefits, and maintenance expenditure;
• ways of minimizing negative environmental impacts, both at the project implementation stage and at the stage of its future operation;
• ways of using hydrotechnical and maintenance works for at least partial renaturization of rivers.3 to improve their ecological status or potential, subject to restrictions resulting from the use of heavily modified water bodies, especially waterways.

The catalog is designed to constitute a guide for investors implementing projects in the field of maintenance and hydrotechnical works, as well as provide a source of knowledge and a tool to promote good practices in the field of sustainable and economical management of environmental resources.

As a tool for promoting good practices, the Catalog serves also didactic functions as a source of knowledge for university environments and for educating young engineers in this field.

The development of the Catalog of good practices constitutes an action included in the update of the country's water and environmental program, aimed at fulfilling the provisions of Art. 11 item 4 of the framework water directive (RDW). The country's water and environmental program constitutes an integral part of the applicable Water Management Plans in river basin areas, which means that the development and implementation of this catalog is part of carrying out objectives set by the WFD.

The introduction of good practices, including the use of environmentally friendly methods in the implementation of projects on watercourses and in their vicinity, will significantly contribute to, among others, improving degraded ecosystems, improving the quantity and quality of water resources, and mitigating the effects of climate change which translates into more frequent extreme phenomena (floods and droughts). By indicating the key for decision-making and a list of criteria important for determining the legitimacy and cost-effectiveness of planned maintenance and hydrotechnical works, the Catalog will also contribute to increasing the efficiency of spending public funds.

Therefore, it is assumed that actions implemented within the framework of "good practices" will constitute an important element supporting the shaping of sustainable development.

The material will also be used by water administration, designers, hydrotechnicians, land reclamation technicians, as well as officials responsible for environmental protection in terms of verifying reported investments and maintenance works.

Good practices are based on 4 decision-making steps, meaning.

1. problem analysis and diagnosis, as well as consideration of possible solutions;
2. reference to legal and environmental restrictions;
3. checking the cost-effectiveness of targeted intervention;
4. choosing the optimal solution.

In case of current watercourse management, the Catalog can be used as support in choosing the right package of maintenance, additional, and investment activities for a given watercourse - according to the hierarchy of goals that a given watercourse is to achieve. The study will also help in analyzing the legitimacy, admissibility, and profitability of projects undertaken in waters, as well as in choosing the optimal scale of work, forms, terms, technologies, and the scope of their implementation, taking into account for example an analysis of the manner in which land adjacent to a watercourse is developed, the occurrence and status of forms concerning JCWP and nature protection, as well as the possibility of using alternative solutions. It can also serve as support in formulating the conditions of implementing works.

The development of the Catalog resulted from the need to improve the current standards of hydrotechnical and maintenance works. The main conclusion of this document is the need for a significant change in the manner of thinking about water management. Various types of ongoing maintenance, additional, and investment activities form a proper set of tools for correct management. A more comprehensive and multilateral approach to planning and applying these activities is needed - the right choice of tools for specific situations; in order to solve problems in an optimal, sustainable, and comprehensive manner, protecting not only against flooding of rivers, but also against drought, and at the same time consistent with achieving environmental goals.

• Catalog of good practices (PDF, 2 MB)
• Interaction matrices (PDF, 885 KB)
• Assessment of the hydromorphological condition of watercourses (PDF, 696 KB)
• Project planning profitability assessment (PDF, 504 KB)
• List of good practices for project contractors ( PDF, 319 KB)
• Elements of good practices (PDF, 758 KB)
• Proposals for implementing the recommendations set out in the Good practices catalog (PDF, 430 KB)
• Photos and images (PDF, 2 MB)
• Literature  (PDF, 254 KB)
• Abstract (PDF, 250 KB)