04/10/2022

Verkís had a visit for Gryfino in Poland

Group from Gryfino in Poland

Verkís was visited by a group of Polish employees of the municipality of Gryfino, Poland, this summer. The occasion was a workshop that is part of a joint project between Verkís and the municipality.

The project is about implementing the concept of blue-green surface water solutions in Gryfino to make the town better equipped to deal with the negative effects of climate change, increase public awareness of the issue and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The project is called “Adaptation to Climate Change through the development of Green and Blue infrastructure in Gryfino” and is funded by the EEA and Norway Grants under the project “Environment, Energy and Climate Change”.

Gryfino is a municipality of about 30,000 people in northern Poland, next to river Odra near the German border. As elsewhere in the world, climate change is likely to alter weather patterns with increased flooding, longer droughts and changes in the region’s biodiversity. The municipality intends to strengthen the town’s green infrastructure as a countermeasure to these fluctuations by investing in recreation areas, planting, flood defenses and blue-green surface water solutions within the urban area, along with educational materials for the residents.

Verkí’s role is to share knowledge in the field of blue-green surface water solutions and landscape architecture in workshops and field trips both in this country and in Poland, as well as preparing educational materials for the municipality. Verkís also provides professional advice on the infrastructure development that takes place in the town in connection with the project.

Last week’s workshop was the second of four. The first workshop took place when Verkís consultants visited Gryfino in March, and the third will take place this fall, in Poland. Part of the workshop was a field trip to places where Verkís has worked on blue-green surface water solutions, for example during the development of the central area of Álftanes and Týsgata (Óðinstorg).

In the top picture you can see part of the group at Austurvöllur. On the far left is Sunna Ósk Kristinsdóttir, civil engineer and on the far right is Áslaug Katrín Aðalsteinsdóttir, landscape architect. Sigurður Grétar Sigmarsson, water resources engineer took the picture.

Second workshop in Iceland Fundusze Norweskie (klimatgryfino.pl)

World goals

Group from Gryfino in Poland