A short talk with EZ Hydroinformatics s.r.o.
How to implement innovative projects abroad with support from the UN
“It was a completely unique experience for us. We helped solve the local problem with the introduction of new technologies, and at the same time we opened the door to establish further partnerships in Bosnia and Herzegovina,“ says Evžen Zeman, head of the company, EZ Hydroinformatics s.r.o.
Since the launch of the program in 2018, the Czech-UNDP Partnership for SDGs has supported the implementation of 31 projects under the Czech Challenge Fund in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Moldova. They have achieved significant results in the areas of natural resource management, environmental protection and economic development.
To present the concrete implementation of this program, we have asked Mr. Evžen Zeman to describe the impacts and the course of project “Local Early Flash Flood Warning System for Basin Ričina”.
What do you consider to be the greatest part of your project?
We have prepared a local warning system project dealing with flash floods in the Řičina River area, which is located in the Tomislavgrad administrative area. We installed several sensors in the Ričina – Drina river basin and connected these sensors via the GSM network with a web portal, configured for Tomislavgrad according to requirements.
The greatest part of the project was the fact that the implementation was carried out precisely according to the preparation and with thanks to local hydrologists. We installed the system in a river network almost without water – karst basin, which was a new experience for us and we had to adapt technology accordingly. Another success was the full and smooth involvement of the partners from Sarajevo, H2i Balkans.
Which of the project activities were partners most attracted to?
The partners were interested in local alert configurations, including an autonomous alert system. The multi-channel broadcasting station and its robust solution are a real innovation and a good solution for the autonomous system. Local partners found it interesting that the local alert system could be implemented as autonomous and within a few months, resulting in a fully operational system. Mainly, a fully energy-optimized system, including powerful photovoltaic cells, is essentially maintenance-free. And even though it is connected to a high-quality battery, it does not need to be recharged because the entire system is designed to be low-energy.
Have you established, or do you plan to cooperate in a partner country in the near future? Or do you intend to otherwise benefit from the contacts and experience gained within the project?
It was a completely unique experience for us. We helped solve the local problem with the introduction of new technologies and at the same time we opened the door to establish further partnerships in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
We have established good cooperation with local experts – we could even say with friends from Sarajevo, who are able to take advantage of opportunities from this project. Possibly, future initiatives could be raised from this cooperation.
Learn more details about the project and company EZ Hdroinformatics, s.r.o.