The maps have been forwarded to nine groups of addressees (Chairperson of the Water Management National Board, Principal National Geodesist, Main Inspector of Environmental Protection, Director of the Government Centre for Security, the relevant provincial governors and marshals, rural and urban district authorities, and the relevant commanders of provincial, district

or urban fire brigades). The extent of flood-endangered areas shown on the maps will be taken into consideration in the spatial management practices of the country and the provinces, studies of conditions and spatial management in communes, and local spatial management plans. Within 18 months of receiving the maps, the public administration bodies listed above will take account of these areas in spatial management plans and studies, and the costs of introducing CDK assay these changes will be covered by the budgets of the relevant communes or provinces. The principle of subsidiarity guiding EU policy means that Member States have to react flexibly to the specific challenges in their countries. Adaptation is basically local. However, the EU acts as coordinator where trans-boundary issues and sectoral policies are concerned. It provides co-funding for a range of projects (including infrastructure). The EU supports research,

information exchange, awareness-raising and education. In other words, it creates a favourable environment for such adaptation. It is expected that implementation of the Floods Directive, the most advanced legislation worldwide in the area 3-Methyladenine research buy of flood protection and flood preparedness, will help reduce the flood risk in Poland. The Polish nation has suffered considerably from floods, 5-FU mw so that a vigorous public debate on flood risk and flood preparedness has taken place. This was particularly apparent during and following the disastrous flood in July 1997 (Kundzewicz et al. 1999). Public opinion polls showed the nation to be critical towards the central government, and this criticism may have contributed to the defeat of the then ruling coalition in the subsequent parliamentary

elections, as noted by many an international observer. Some provincial authorities who underestimated the danger and did not make proper use of the forecasts were strongly criticised. The 1997 flood demonstrated the considerable capabilities of local authorities, whose performance was evaluated more favourably. In several locations they managed to combat the hazard. This statement became important in a nationwide discussion about the territorial structure of Poland on whether or not to replace the existing administrative division into 49 provinces (Polish – województwa) by a smaller number of larger units and whether or not to introduce an intermediate level of districts (Polish – powiaty) between the provinces and municipalities (Polish – gminy).