Winners of the 'Adaptation for Wielkopolska' competition announced!

The municipalities of Odolanów, Czerwonak and Rogoźno have been selected as winners of the "Adaptation for Wielkopolska" competition. Each of them will receive a grant of PLN 30,000 to support the development of climate change adaptation plans, with a particular focus on sustainable water management. 

Numerous applications were submitted from across the region, all of them diverse, substantively strong and reflecting the actual needs of local communities. This confirms the seriousness and complexity of the challenges posed by water scarcity and extreme weather phenomena in the Wielkopolska region.

The final decision was made by a jury composed of representatives of the organizer (the “Hydroni” Foundation) and the sponsor (Kompania Piwowarska). 

The level of interest in the competition exceeded our expectations. On the one hand, it is encouraging to see that local governments are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of water resources and the threats posed by climate change.
On the other hand, the number and variety of applications showed just how broad and complex water-related issues really are. These go far beyond floods and droughts — they also include declining water quality, agricultural overpressure, poor retention in the landscape, soil erosion, falling groundwater levels, problems with stormwater drainage, and a lack of green infrastructure. We focused on selecting municipalities that have not yet developed concrete solutions but have recognized the problem, which now requires deeper analysis not only from a technical standpoint, but also with environmental and social factors in mind. Choosing just a few top applications was not an easy task - says Dr. Kamil Jawgiel, hydrologist and representative of the Hydroni Foundation.

The competition clearly demonstrated, from a practical perspective, the significant challenges the entire Wielkopolska region faces in connection with global warming and water availability and management. Submissions came from both areas near Poznań and municipalities located many kilometres away from the regional capital. Climate adaptation plans and the related investments are essential if we want to improve the situation. We are a leading company in our industry, and water is one of our core ingredients. Our brewery in Poznań is the largest in Poland in terms of production capacity. We believe this competition will contribute, even if only to a small extent, to improving conditions in Wielkopolska and inspire other businesses to support water sustainability efforts in our region – commented Grzegorz Adamski, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development Manager at Kompania Piwowarska.  

WINNING MUNICIPALITIES:

Odolanów

Odolanów faces regular flooding from the Barycz River. The town is looking for small-scale retention solutions spread throughout the municipality to support natural water retention in the landscape and reduce stormwater runoff into the river, thereby mitigating potential flood peaks. Considering that, the grant will fund the development of a concept for managing rainwater and meltwater. 

Czerwonak

Czerwonak is primarily focusing on combating drought, which has caused noticeable losses of young trees and shrubs. To tackle this issue, a greening strategy will be developed to optimize the planting of new vegetation, particularly in the Koziegłowy area.

Rogoźno

Rogoźno is a town located in the picturesque surroundings of Lake Rogozińskie. On one hand, the lake suffers from poor water quality, while on the other, drought in the region causes local streams such as the Wełna, Mała Wełna and Flinta to regularly dry up.
For these reasons, the Rogoźno municipality will develop a stormwater and meltwater management plan aimed at finding the best solutions to these issues. 

The Hydroni Foundation and Kompania Piwowarska would like to thank all participants for their submissions and commitment. Projects that did not receive funding still hold great potential, and we hope to support them in other ways.

Kompania Piwowarska (Asahi), driven by a strong sense of responsibility for its impact on the local environment and water resources, is committed to supporting adaptation efforts in Wielkopolska and improving water management in the region.

Meanwhile, the Hydroni Foundation, as a substantive partner, is actively involved in shaping public policies at the local, regional and national levels to promote and implement a wide range of initiatives aimed at achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals.