European Recovery and Resilience Funds – Together towards the goal: Better flood safety

• Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Recovery and Resilience
• Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning

According to the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Major flood events in Slovenia in the period 1990-2021 caused more than two billion euros in damage. In the period 2010-2021 alone, damage caused by major floods reached almost one and a half billion euros. Therefore, according to the Ministry's estimate, Slovenia has sustained around EUR 120 million in direct flood damage. Taking into account additional indirect damage, such as loss of revenue for economic entities, the failure of businesses, disrupted infrastructure and communication links, and other long-term consequences, the total annual damage is estimated at around EUR 150 million. The August 2023 flood event, which alone caused approximately three billion euros in direct damage, or around 10 billion according to the PDNA (Post-Disaster Needs Assessment) method, will significantly affect the multi-year flood damage average shown by long-term statistical analyses.

As part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, Slovenia has also addressed the flood risk and the impacts of landslides, which often accompany prolonged and intense rainfall.

The ministry responsible for the environment, in cooperation with the Directorate of the Republic of Slovenia for Waters, used the EU funds for post-COVID recovery to implement a reform to increase flood safety and an investment to reduce flood risk and the risk of other climate-related disasters.

Strengthening prevention to increase flood safety - reform

The reform addressed the flood risk, which is among the most relevant climate change-related risks for Slovenia.

In this context, the Government adopted a Plan for managing flood risk in the period 2023-2027, which outlines the objectives and measures aimed at reducing flood risk in major flood-sensitive areas. The plan is a set of 18 catchment area plans for reducing flood risk, which include all 86 identified flood-sensitive areas. The plan is the basis for the planning and implementation of projects.

The milestone linked to the implementation of the reform was included in the second request for payment, which was fully disbursed by the European Commission in December 2023.

Reducing flood risks and reducing the risk of other climate-related disasters - investment

The purpose of the investment is to reduce the risk of flooding and landslides. For the purpose of the investment, a flood risk assessment was made for catchment areas across Slovenia, 18 projects were implemented to improve flood safety and five projects to reduce the risk of landslides, and a central information system for water monitoring, which will operate within the framework of the National Water Monitoring Center - NaCe, was established.

A total of EUR 141 million from the Recovery and Resilience Facility has been allocated for the implementation of the investment under the RRP, including EUR 51 million in grants and EUR 90 million in loans.

Completed flood control projects:

• Reduction of flood risk in Dravograd - the first set;
• Construction of a retention basin by the Črni potok stream in the Municipality of Logatec;
• Upward and side extension of the high water levee on the right bank of the Mura River in Ljutomer and Križevci municipalities;
• The Danjice-Šmarjeta-Škofja Vas flood control regime in the Municipality of Celje;
• The Koprivnice-Dobrova area flood control regime in the Municipality of Celje;
• The Savinja-Polule area flood control regime in the Municipality of Celje;
• The Voglajne-Čreta area flood control regime in the Municipality of Celje;
• The Ločnice-Zagrad area flood control regime in the Municipality of Celje;
• Flood control regime in the Železniki Potentially Significant Flood Risk Area (APSFR);
• High water levee in Vučja vas in the Municipality of Križevci;
• Flood control regime on the Vipava River - Batunje commercial zone;
• Reduction of flood risk in Šmarješke Toplice;
• Reduction of flood risk in the Kobile catchment area in the Municipality of Šentjernej;
• Upward and side extension of the Krog-Petjanci high water levee in the municipality of Tišina;
• Creation of dry detention basins in the Municipality of Izola;
• Flood control regime in the Renče area;
• Flood control regime in the Sotla River catchment area in the Municipality of Brežice;
• Šentjur - phase G - the construction of sediment detention dams.

Completed landslide risk reduction projects:

• Landslides in the upcountry area of Koroška Bela in the Municipality of Jesenice;
• Rehabilitation work on the Laze pri Leskovici landslide in the municipality of Gorenja vas Poljane;
• The Gradišče nad Prvačino landslide in the Municipality of Nova Gorica;
• The Slano Blato landslide in the Municipality of Ajdovščina;
• The Macesnik landslide in the Municipality of Solčava.

The milestone for the submission of anti flood project contracts was part of the fifth request for payment, which the European Commission made in April of 2026. The milestone for assessing flood safety in catchment areas of the Republic of Slovenia and the objectives related to anti-flood and landslide safety projects, will be included in the last request for Facility payment, which Slovenia will submit to Brussels by 30 September 2026.