The Request claims that the World Bank-financed Odra and Vistula Flood Protection Project (P147460) contributed to several reservoirs and dams failing to withstand the floods that occurred in September 2024, resulting in fatalities and “enormous damage” in several municipalities. The Request claims that the modernized and implemented hydrological measurement systems delivered under the Project failed to provide information to warn residents about the impending disaster and resulted in evacuations not being ordered on time. The affected reservoirs and dams, located in the Silesian Voivodeship region, included the Stronie Śląskie reservoir, the Topola dam located in the Nysa Kłodzka cascade, the Racibórz reservoir, and the Roztoki Bystrzyckie reservoir, and the impacted municipalities and villages included Stronie Śląskie, Lądek Zdrój, Wilkanów and Roztoki.
Furthermore, the Request claims an upcoming World Bank project titled "Building Resilience to Climate Change in Water Management" is failing to gain “social and community consent” for the construction of “other dangerous dams” in, Goszów, Bolesławów, Stójków and Wilkanów. Referring to previous public protests, the Request states that the views of concerned community members are being ignored.
The Panel reviewed the Request for its admissibility in accordance with the Panel’s Operating Procedures. The Panel conducted its due diligence by reviewing the information contained in the Request and in Project documents, as well as by speaking with the Requesters. The Panel noted that, at the time of receipt of the Request, the loan financing the Project had been fully disbursed and, therefore, the Request does not meet the admissibility criteria set out in paragraph 15 (c) (i) of the Resolution, which pertains to projects approved by the Executive Directors before September 8, 2020.
On this basis, the Panel did not register the Request and closed the case.
This has been the tenth Request the Panel received concerning the Odra and Vistula Flood Protection Project (P147460). For the previous nine requests, the Board approved the Panel’s Report and Recommendation on January 10, 2020, which the Panel published on its website on January 14, 2020.
