Program
Stormwater Poland 2025 – Let’s Meet at the Midway Point!
In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it is worth pausing occasionally to draw lessons from the past and thoughtfully plan for the future. Every journey benefits from periodic course corrections and adjustments, especially at the halfway point, to revise plans and adopt faster, safer means of travel. Since the pre-industrial era, around 1850, the Earth’s average temperature has already risen by over 1°C, and we are rapidly approaching 1.5°C. While debating the exact figure is futile, it is crucial to acknowledge that we are nearing halfway to the predicted temperature increase of 2.8–3.5°C by 2100, as outlined in the Paris Agreement of 2015.
At this halfway point, few would deny the reality of climate change. The catastrophic flooding in southern Poland last summer, driven by extraordinarily warm Mediterranean waters, is just one example of a new reality where seemingly minor disruptions in the hydrological cycle result in unpredictable threats and substantial losses. Geopolitical tensions and the realities of a globalized world further erode hope for genuine cooperation among competing nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and halt climate change. This halfway mark also serves as a critical Point of No Return (PNR), marking a point from which there is no going back to the historical climate conditions our children will never experience. Faced with global changes largely beyond our control, local actions become imperative. Adapting locally to existing climate changes and preparing for those yet to come is now essential.
At the 9th annual Stormwater Poland conference in Poznań, from March 24–26, 2025, we aim to focus on the critical challenge of adaptation, particularly concerning drainage systems and the broader concept of urban water circulation. At this midpoint, we believe it is vital to share experiences from climate change adaptation in hydrology, especially urban hydrology, and draw conclusions for the coming years. Together, we aim to develop best practices for maximizing the benefits of completed climate adaptation investments in drainage systems. Looking to the future, we seek insights from experts about the second half of the climate change process and its anticipated impacts on urban infrastructure, particularly drainage systems. Armed with knowledge from past adaptation efforts and projections of future climate changes, we intend to identify the most effective adaptation strategies for the future, including engineering tools, technological solutions, operational practices, and even improved administrative and legal frameworks.
We believe this is achievable through the tradition of bringing together representatives from national water management and environmental protection authorities, drainage system operators, consultants, technology manufacturers, and academia, as has been the case in previous years. Thus, the proposed theme for Stormwater Poland 2025 is “Meeting at the Midpoint!” As in past years, this theme invites participants from both Poland and abroad, reflecting the global nature of the issue and the need for international perspectives to inform local actions.
The need for specific local actions inspires the conference’s first session, titled “How to Broaden Adaptation?” Over the past seven years, leaders in climate adaptation in Poland have emerged, primarily large cities, with smaller towns often lagging due to fewer resources and the requirement to develop urban climate adaptation plans, initially applied to cities with over 100,000 residents. By 2024, a proposal emerged to extend this requirement to all 209 cities with populations over 20,000. This session will feature representatives from cities of various sizes that have begun adapting their drainage systems to climate change, achieving measurable results. We will juxtapose their insights with those of international keynote speakers to identify success factors. Moreover, the session will highlight adaptation examples from educational institutions and private companies, demonstrating innovative uses of rainwater. We will also challenge drainage system technology manufacturers to address three key questions: What retention-friendly and in-situ solutions are currently offered? How do these solutions align with blue-green infrastructure requirements? And how will they innovate to advance adaptation efforts? Recognizing the critical role of funding, we will hear from experts about financing opportunities for drainage system adaptations using EU funds such as the European Regional Development Fund, Cohesion Fund, and National Recovery Plan.
The second session, titled “How to Intensify Adaptation?”, emphasizes the importance of combining the scale of actions with their quality. We will showcase national and international best practices, focusing on extending the effectiveness of existing infrastructure through trends like retention management and rainwater infiltration. This session will also highlight the role of local monitoring and rainfall nowcasting integrated with drainage system performance prediction. Experts will assess the state of the art and its future outlook, ensuring modernization efforts are optimal and forward-thinking. Additionally, we will discuss combining flood prevention and urban drought resistance with improving rainwater quality. To this end, practitioners who have successfully implemented blue-green infrastructure and researchers conducting advanced, high-potential studies will present their findings. Technology providers will share state-of-the-art solutions for rainwater treatment, long-term conditioning, and quality monitoring. Finally, we will debate how to balance water quality improvement with the need to reduce energy consumption and overall costs.
The third session, “New Tools for Adaptation,” will address the tools necessary for future drainage system adaptations. Recent advancements, such as integrated modeling of surface runoff, stormwater flows, and local water bodies, highlight progress but also point to areas for systematic development. This session will explore whether planning horizons should extend beyond 2050 to 2100, considering less optimistic Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs). Specialists in atmospheric physics will set the stage for discussions among software developers and end-users, aiming to establish recommendations for current and future adaptation tools. The session will conclude with a debate on making advanced tools accessible and inclusive, ensuring smaller cities can also adapt effectively.
The conference will conclude with the session “Ensuring Adaptation Durability,” focusing on maintaining urban drainage infrastructure in the face of climate change, demographic shifts, and labor market challenges. Operators who have taken responsibility for local drainage systems will share roadmaps for future actions. Additionally, we will address the complex issue of financing drainage system maintenance in increasingly challenging conditions.
We hope the topics and agenda of the 9th edition of Stormwater Poland 2025 align with your professional challenges and interests. Together with our local hosts, Aquanet and Aquanet Retencja, and our general partner, ACO, we invite you to join us in Poznań from March 24–26, 2025, for Poland’s largest rainwater-focused event!
