Investments in green and blue infrastructure of Polish cities with co-financing of PLN 136.2 million

The National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW), which is the operator of the European Funds for Eastern Poland (FEPW), has already signed agreements with all local governments that received support in the first call for applications for Measure 2.2 Adaptation to climate change in the European Funds for Eastern Poland program . As part of the first edition of the FEPW program, 12 cities will implement pro-ecological investments for PLN 176.6 million, of which over PLN 136.2 million is a contribution from European Funds.

Investments in green and blue infrastructure will help increase the resilience of cities to the threats resulting from climate change. Funding from the program will cover the construction of parks, gardens, urban meadows, connections between green areas, urban water reservoirs, and unblocking the flow of canals and urban rivers.

– The intense climate change is intensifying unfavorable phenomena in cities, such as heavy rains causing floods, heat islands and others that require urgent adaptation actions. By restoring parks and ponds in cities and implementing green and blue infrastructure, we will take better care of the safety, health and quality of life of residents and build the resilience of our cities. Polish cities reach for subsidies for projects that take into account a comprehensive, ecosystem approach to the environment in urbanized space - said Dorota Zawadzka-Stępniak, President of the Management Board of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.

As part of the "Adaptation to climate change" program, the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management selected investment projects in Biłgoraj, Busko Zdrój, Ciechanów, Chełm, Dębica, Jasło, Krosno, Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, Mława, Siedlce, Stalowa Wola and Bartoszyce. Recruitment under Measure 2.2. Adaptation to climate change (project type: I) FEPW was conducted in a competitive manner from July 31 to October 31, 2023.

The authorities of 12 cities in Eastern Poland have planned, among others: increasing green areas, unsealing the surface and rebuilding parking lots to collect rainwater. There will also be "green stops" for public transport and retention ponds. In place of impermeable surfaces, trees, shrubs and flower meadows will appear on deconcreted squares and squares. Green belts in the form of pocket rain gardens will also be created in many places. Stopping rainwater in the soil and retention reservoirs will reduce the occurrence of flash urban floods that often flood low-lying streets. The collected water can be used, for example, to water lawns. The investments are also intended to effectively reduce temperatures, which are particularly severe on hot days in densely built-up areas.

Another call for projects within the scope of measure 2.2. Adaptation to climate change (project type: I: Infrastructure projects in the field of green and green-blue infrastructure in cities) under the FEPW is planned for Q3/Q4 2024. The call for proposals will be open to projects covering infrastructure investments that they comprehensively adapt cities to extreme weather conditions and mitigate the urban heat island effect by developing green and blue infrastructure. Towns located in 6 eastern voivodeships will be able to participate:

- medium-sized cities that are losing their socio-economic functions and other subregional cities from subregions with the highest accumulation of marginalized municipalities in the range of 20-100 thousand inhabitants. residents (and organizational units acting on their behalf);

- towns with the status of a health resort or health resort protection area (and organizational units acting on their behalf).

A total of EUR 255 million was planned for Measure 2.2 Adaptation to climate change in the FEPW program. Already in September this year. another call for funding applications will begin.

The European Funds for Eastern Poland program for 2021-2027 is a continuation of support for eastern voivodeships to accelerate their development. The budget is EUR 2.65 billion from the European Regional Development Fund. The main goals of the program are to increase the attractiveness of cities and improve the quality of life of residents in the era of climate change and to consolidate conditions conducive to the competitiveness of the macroregion and a higher quality of life in Eastern Poland. FEPW is used by five voivodeships: Lubelskie, Podlaskie, Podkarpackie, Świętokrzyskie and Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship and - what is new - part of the Masovian Voivodeship, excluding Warsaw and the surrounding poviats, the so-called Mazowieckie regional statistical region.

Source: National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management