Water, water and water everywhere in Opava

Life presents us with paradoxes, such as the moment when you are peacefully working on slides for a presentation titled "Validation and monitoring of WATER systems" in your office, only to witness the rain starting outside. This occurrence is quite common in September. Upon checking the weather forecast, you discover that the rain is expected to continue for the next four days. The predicted amount of precipitation is around 200 mm for the town Opava, which typically receives approximately 650 mm of rainfall annually. Furthermore, the forecast indicates over 400 mm (eventually reaching 500 mm) of precipitation in the Jeseniky mountains, the source of the Opava river, where the average annual precipitation is 1400 mm. As you assess the prediction of water levels and speed, you realize that the town is on the brink of a disaster.

Opava has another river called Moravice, which originates in the same mountains and receives a similar amount of precipitation. Two large dam lakes were constructed on this river several decades ago. A program is in place to manage water levels in anticipation of high predicted precipitation. Due to the high probability of precipitation between 12 and 16 September, the dams were promptly alerted and released the maximum amount of water possible to make room for the expected fresh water. The water from the dams was then gradually released to prevent any damage to residential areas, businesses, and infrastructure.

As time passed and the expected amount of precipitation was reached, we could see that the Moravice River did not create any major issues. In contrast, the Opava River, without a dam, carried all the rain directly into the town of Opava. The outcome can be observed in the photo. I conducted a rough estimate using publicly available data - the volume of water from precipitation was approximately 750,000,000 cubic meters.

Is it really wise to have two dams on one river and none on another? However, there is a government proposal to construct a new dam on the Opava River. This proposal gained significant attention, particularly following the devastating floods in 1997.

We possess the data, expertise, scientific knowledge in meteorology and hydrology, as well as the engineering skills required for designing and building the dam. Therefore, the question remains: where is the dam?

A small group of around 100 individuals made the decision to halt the construction of the dam due to the risk of losing their homes. While this decision is understandable and unfortunate, it must be noted that the consequences have been far-reaching. Approximately 250,000 lives have been significantly impacted, with homes destroyed and businesses facing immense challenges in the aftermath of this disaster. The infrastructure, including railways, roads, and bridges, has also suffered damage, further exacerbating the situation.

In our legal system, a group of 100 people can collectively file a lawsuit against a government decision. However, can 250,000 individuals collectively take legal action against these 100 people? Who will be responsible for compensating for the damages that could have been avoided? And who will cover the thousands of work hours needed for cleanup?

During this September weekend, I ended up learning a lot more about water than I had initially anticipated.