“FLOODS – COUNTERACTION, RECOVERY, PREVENTION”

PROGRAM

 1. Legal regulation of army involvement in support and recovery activities concerning floods.

2. Sale of part of the national golden reserve and establishment of a special fund for the water disaster casualties, for the suffering, and for restoration.

3. Legal ban on deforestation of areas adjacent to water basins.

4. Legal ban on construction in areas jeopardized by floods, overflow of rivers, dams, and others.

5. Adoption of a long-term government program for flood prevention.

6. Establishment of special funds, programs, and low-interest credit lines for citizens, companies, and minicipalities directly affected by the floods.

7. Allocation of funds from the national budget for a contribution to the Water for Peace Project of the International Green Cross through its national branch office, so that the abilities of the International Green Cross are used afterwards to undo the damage from the floods in Bulgaria.

8. Immediate setting up of rubber dykes and irrigation facilities adopted in the armed forces of the EU countries since 2002.

9. Creation of psychological rehabilitation centers for citizens affected by flood, as well as for their social adaptation following the calamity.

10. Legal regulation of the management of the entire Waters sector in a single ministry.

11. Full scale check-up of all water sources, water supply zones, water reservoirs for their status and suitability for management in the event of intensive rainfall and floods.

12. Nationàl media project for the grievances, problems and overcoming of the crisis by for citizens, companies, and minicipalities affected by the floods.

13. Legislative resolution for the reinstatement of construction and transport armed forces and the establishment of their equivalents, e.g. engineer module formations. Equipment and re-equipment with new machinery: bulldozers, excavators, specialized machinery.

14. State policy via the Financial Supervision Commission towards the insurance companies for upgrading and activation in the supply of insurance policies against disasters and floods, as there is no convincing practice and tradition in this respect. In Finland, for example, this insurance activity is carried out by the state.

15. Restoration of the hydrological stations alongside the Maritsa River, Struma River and all cross-border rivers.

16. Introduction of new, categorical requirements and revision of all water basin lease contracts, to the best interest of population safety.

17. Experimental introduction of all proposed flood facilities for the purpose of selecting the ones necessary in poor conditions. For example, presently, a 60-fold-use, Muros Romanos type of rubber stamp by the German company Noe is used to adjust the river bed of Elenska river in Elena, the Bulgarian company Monimex cooperates with the said German company.

18. Training and upgrading of the Bulgarian armed forces for adequate intervention.

19. A program for complete check-up, upgrading, and increase of the waste water treatment stations.

20. Announcement of public procurements by the municipalities for the complete clean-up of the water intake shafts in the cities congested by the torrential rains. Replacement of the stolen metal grates with concrete ones.

21. Program for the clean-up of all river dams and reinforcement of the micro dams.

22. Program for clean-up of the intake-outlet pipes of the civil sewerage.

23. Immediate design and construction of dykes at critical points affected during the floods.

24. Recovery of the genetic seed bank destroyed during the floods.

25. New district division in the country for the terrains protected from floods.

26. Updating of the seismic map of Bulgaria.

27. Based on a complex analysis of the landscape involving hydrology, geomorphology, and climatology experts for the elaboration of a forecast for potential natural disaster and undertake preventive measures for population protection.

28. To find out how vulnerable to floods the settlements are. Those situated on inundation river areas are to be protected with dykes, whereas the river beds are to be cleared not only of fallen trees, but also of ballast, which significantly reduces the bottom depth..

29. To carry out a micro-seismic district division of the country so that people are aware where and how to build and what potential dangers are in store in the terrains of these zones.

30. Elaboration of a new geomorphological map of Bulgaria.

31. Merging of the Fire Safety and Population Protection National Service with the Civil Protection State Agency.

32. Selection of companies to clear blocking trees in the river beds, distribution to the sufferers from the flood with a state subsidy for the purpose.

33. A program for combating and preventing cholera, hepatitis, typhoid, gastric infections, leptospyrosis, and other potential epidemics following floods.

34. Systematic information flows and training of the population for protection from epidemics following floods.

35. Maintenance of swift reaction readiness in regions potentially jeopardized from pollution of drinking water.

 

 25.08.2005                 

City of Sofia                 EXPERT COUNCIL

MOVEMENT FOR GREEN BULGARIA