According to the 2019 data from the Ministry of Marine Economy and Inland Navigation, Małopolska Voivodeship is one of the most drought stricken Voivodeships in Poland. Roughly 81% of the area is on III degree of drought risk level, with three percent on IV degree level. It is the only area being on the IV degree level of drought risk in Poland. Our research shows it is a result of the lack of knowledge on drought, poor water management, and micro-retention among the population living in those areas. We see that many individuals are eager to learn and look for solutions, but so far, we did not have the means to act.

We will conduct workshops for administration employees, farmers, architects, and students from post-primary schools in Małopolskie Voivodeship. Each of the workshops will be custom designed for the specific group it’s serving. The general theme of the meetings will be counteracting the drought. Our experience teaches us that actions taken by many different stakeholder groups have a bigger impact because they complement each other, and the participants have an opportunity to better understand the problem.

The main goal of the workshops taking place at schools is to select 10 individuals who will participate in a competition for the best idea on how to counteract the drought. During a gala, the jury will select three winning ideas that we will later implement. Farmers and administration officials will be able to deepen their knowledge on the necessities and advantages of water retention, while architects will learn about biodiversity and their role in combating the drought through designing and creating public spaces.