SLOVENIAN-AUSTRIAN COOPERATION IN PREVENTION OF FLOODS CAUSED BY A COLLAPSE OF FLOOD CONTROL STRUCTURES IN THE AREAS OF GORNJA RADGONA AND BAD RADKERSBURG

Abstract

Within the cross-border cooperation between the Municipality of Bad Radkersburg on the Austrian side and Municipality of Gornja Radgona on the Slovenian side, a table top exercise (TTX) was organized in summer 2014 to test response procedures in the event of floods on the Mur River. The exercise involved Civil Protection Headquarters of the Municipality of Gornja Radgona, Murska Sobota Branch Office of the Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, Slovenian local fire department, Slovenian Environment Agency – Drava and Mur Basins Division, Chair of the Slovenian part of the Slovenian-Austrian intergovernmental commission for the Mur River, along with the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Civic and Geodetic Engineering, and a number of relevant services from the Austrian side. Three scenarios were prepared for possible disasters occurring in a wider area of Bad Radkersburg and Gornja Radgona caused by the Mur flood wave. At different time intervals and based on information about the situation and forecasted river discharges at upstream gauging stations, the participants developed relevant measures within their area of competence, thus having ensured work coordination and information exchange on both sides of the Mur River.