The national fund for environmental protection and water management (NFOŚiGW) will allocate over 1.2 billion PLN for water investments

The National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW) has launched calls for projects under the FEnIKS 2.4 Action: Adaptation to Climate Change, Disaster Prevention, which offers a significant opportunity for modernizing Poland’s water infrastructure. More than 1 billion PLN from the program will be allocated to water investments aimed at combating floods, droughts, and environmental degradation.

Call for water project funding applications is now open

On September 30, NFOŚiGW, acting on an agreement with the Minister of Climate and Environment, announced the opening of calls for water investment funding. The financial support for these projects comes from the EU’s FEnIKS program (European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate, Environment 2021-2027). The funded projects will be implemented under Action 2.4 Adaptation to Climate Change, Disaster Prevention.

The total budget for the available funds is 1.2 billion PLN. The maximum level of project support can reach up to 79.71% of eligible costs.

Over 1 billion PLN earmarked for water investments preventing floods and droughts

One of the initiatives funded under the new NFOŚiGW call – running from September 30, 2024, to March 31, 2025 – (FEnIKS 2.4.5) includes the construction and modernization of water facilities. These investments aim to reduce the effects of floods and droughts in pre-identified areas, as well as to protect coastal regions from erosion. More than 1 billion PLN has been allocated from the program to support such projects, which can benefit entities like Wody Polskie (Polish Waters) and Maritime Offices.

Eligible projects for funding include:

• Construction of retention reservoirs with a capacity of up to 5 million cubic meters;
• Construction of flood control channels and polders in flood-prone areas;
• Modernization of flood embankments along the Oder and Vistula rivers;
• Construction of dry reservoirs to protect towns and villages by reducing flood waves.

All these investments must comply with EU regulations on environmental protection and climate change adaptation. Their goal is to ensure effective protection against threats posed by increasingly frequent extreme weather events affecting Poland.

Support will also cover river renaturation

The second call announced under the FEnIKS program (Action 2.4.4) provides funding for the renaturation of transformed watercourses and water-dependent areas. It is exclusively aimed at Wody Polskie and runs from September 30, 2024, to September 30, 2025. A total of 221 million PLN has been allocated for project funding.

Water investments implemented with program support are intended to restore the natural state of ecosystems, aiding protection against the impacts of extreme weather events. Eligible projects must not only focus on environmental protection but also improve natural mechanisms regulating water flows, such as:

• Restoring natural watercourses and re-establishing their ecological continuity;
• Increasing valley retention, which will help manage excess water during rainy periods;
• Renaturing wetlands and improving water conditions in peatlands, contributing to increased water retention.

A strategy for difficult times – can water investments reduce the effects of climate change?

Dorota Zawadzka-Stępniak, President of the NFOŚiGW Management Board, emphasized that in light of current climate threats, such as the floods that have affected southern Poland, the FEnIKS program takes on particular importance. During a press conference, she announced that the program will be prioritized both in terms of application assessments and contract signing.

Projects carried out under the FEnIKS program aim to serve not only infrastructure but also broader nature conservation efforts. This is why river and wetland renaturation activities are a key part of this strategy. Increasing natural retention, restoring biodiversity, and enhancing rivers’ self-purification capacity can provide an effective defense against the increasingly frequent weather anomalies.