According to data from the Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation from 2019, Małopolska is one of the most severely affected regions by drought in Poland. Nearly 81% of the area falls under the class III in a four-degree drought hazard scale, and three percent falls under the class IV. It is the only area classified under the highest level of drought hazard in Poland. From our research, it appears that this is mainly due to a lack of knowledge about drought, water management, and micro-retention among the residents inhabiting these areas. We knew that many residents were willing to seek and support solutions, but the lack of funding for actions was an obstacle for us previously.
We conducted workshops for officials, architects, farmers, and students from secondary schools in Małopolska. Each workshop was tailored to the specific target group. The overarching theme of the meetings was drought prevention. From our experience, we have seen that actions taken by various groups of people have a greater impact on the environment because they complement each other, and project participants better understand its purpose.
During the workshops, officials and farmers could enhance their knowledge about the necessity and benefits of water retention, while architects learned about biodiversity and their role in drought prevention as individuals shaping and planning space. The main goal of the school workshops was to identify 21 groups that would participate in a competition for the best idea for combating drought. At the final Gala organized by us, the jury selected three winning ideas, which were subsequently implemented.
According to the evaluation surveys, we know that thanks to the workshops, each participating group increased their knowledge and skills in topics related to water retention, biodiversity, and drought prevention possibilities. Additionally, the students’ creativity was awakened, as illustrated by comparing the ideas they came up with initially, before the training, and the ones that made it to the competition for the best initiative to counteract drought.
