Of course I do (he looks up at my noticeboard, where the photograph in question has been hanging for the past three years<\/em>).<\/p>\n I\u00a0must admit, even then I\u00a0had an\u00a0idea about how I\u00a0might get that photograph into VTEI. It was obvious that we weren\u2019t going to squeeze it into a\u00a0scientific article, and certainly not into an\u00a0author profile, so I\u00a0decided that one day I\u00a0would simply have to interview you… So, welcome to Prague.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n (Laugh<\/em>s.)<\/span><\/span> Thank you for inviting me.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u00a0also really liked something you wrote to me right at the\u00a0beginning of\u00a0our correspondence in\u00a0May 2023: \u201cAbove all, don\u2019t call me Associate Professor!\u201d May I\u00a0ask how someone manages, almost \u201cin\u00a0passing\u201d, to acquire four university degrees and yet describes himself as a\u00a0labourer? Isn\u2019t that being just a\u00a0little too modest?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n I\u00a0don\u2019t think so, and I\u00a0hope it doesn\u2019t come across as false modesty either. If I\u00a0go right back to the\u00a0beginning, I\u00a0was fascinated by nature from childhood, and I\u00a0also loved trains. So as a\u00a0boy I\u00a0never went through the\u00a0usual astronaut\u2013firefighter\u2013policeman\u2013soldier phases. For me it was always quite clearly either train\u00a0driver or naturalist. What\u2019s\u00a0more, while I\u00a0was studying, I\u00a0actually earned money doing various manual jobs \u2013 laying paving, bricklaying, carpentry, and working at a\u00a0sawmill. Even now I\u00a0occasionally help out with some carpentry or drive a\u00a0lorry for a\u00a0friend. It\u2019s\u00a0a\u00a0form of\u00a0relaxation for me, although I\u00a0don\u2019t have much time for it these days. But I\u00a0have a\u00a0great deal of\u00a0respect for manual work, especially skilled manual work.<\/span><\/p>\n So what ultimately decided it?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I\u00a0still love trains; I\u00a0enjoy travelling by train, and I\u00a0have plenty of\u00a0friends who are train\u00a0drivers, but in\u00a0the\u00a0end, becoming a\u00a0naturalist won out. Perhaps that was partly because there were far more books about nature, and I\u00a0was always an\u00a0avid reader. At home, I\u00a0tried to read as many books as I\u00a0could, and my parents and grandparents often bought them for me too. At the\u00a0same time, though, my father worked at the\u00a0Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI) in\u00a0Ostrava as a\u00a0surface-water technician, so I\u00a0had no ambition to go into hydrology because I\u00a0didn\u2019t want to follow in\u00a0his footsteps. And that brings me back to the\u00a0idea of\u00a0being a\u00a0manual worker \u2013 I\u00a0deliberately chose to attend a\u00a0secondary technical school specialising in\u00a0electrical engineering and computer technology, quite simply so that I\u00a0wouldn\u2019t have to go to a\u00a0grammar school and then on to university.<\/span><\/p>\n That certainly sounds like someone with two doctorates and a\u00a0habilitation. :-)<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n (Laughs<\/em>.<\/span>) Well, that\u2019s\u00a0how it turned out in\u00a0the\u00a0end anyway \u2013 I\u00a0completed my Master\u2019s\u00a0degree, followed by my first and then my higher doctorate. By that time, I\u00a0was already teaching natural sciences at the\u00a0University of\u00a0Ostrava and at the\u00a0Faculty of\u00a0Mining and Geology at VSB \u2013 Technical University of\u00a0Ostrava. Without it ever featuring in\u00a0any kind of\u00a0\u201cpersonal development plan\u201d, it eventually led to my habilitation and appointment as Associate Professor at VSB \u2013 Technical University of\u00a0Ostrava, with a\u00a0focus on the\u00a0use of\u00a0geographic information systems and mathematical models in\u00a0environmental sciences.<\/span><\/p>\n How long did you teach?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n If I\u00a0remember correctly, I\u00a0started straight after my first state examination, in\u00a02003. At the\u00a0Faculty of\u00a0Science, I\u00a0taught hydrology and landscape science, while at the\u00a0Faculty of\u00a0Mining and Geology I\u00a0taught practical classes under Associate Professor Grmela, historically one of\u00a0the\u00a0leading hydrogeologists in\u00a0the\u00a0country and, moreover, someone with extensive practical experience. So it was a\u00a0tremendous learning experience for me too, and you could say that I\u00a0learnt by teaching.<\/span><\/p>\n My regular, timetabled teaching at both faculties continued until around 2019. In\u00a0the\u00a0meantime, however, I\u00a0joined the\u00a0CHMI in\u00a02014 and gradually began\u00a0cutting back on my teaching \u2013 I\u00a0mostly taught while on leave or after work well into the\u00a0evening. Eventually, I\u00a0realised that you simply can\u2019t do everything, and I\u00a0quietly drifted away from university life.<\/span><\/p>\n Don\u2019t you miss having students and young people around you now?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m fortunate enough to have them on my team. We have quite a\u00a0few recent graduates working with us, so I\u00a0don\u2019t miss that \u201cbreath of\u00a0fresh air\u201d, as they say. I\u00a0also still teach occasional intensive blocks at the\u00a0Mathematical Institute of\u00a0the\u00a0Silesian\u00a0University and at the\u00a0Faculty of\u00a0Science of\u00a0Palack\u00fd University, so I\u2019m still in\u00a0contact with students. But I\u00a0should stress that I\u00a0only teach in\u00a0blocks, always on a\u00a0specific topic, so that I\u00a0can\u00a0keep up with all the\u00a0operational and development work associated with the\u00a0CHMI, because that is now my priority.<\/span><\/p>\n Your work also occasionally takes you to the\u00a0Faculty of\u00a0Science in\u00a0Prague. May I\u00a0ask why, after your studies, your career took you to Ostrava in\u00a0particular?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Although I\u2019ve lived near Opava for years now, I\u00a0was born in\u00a0Ostrava. And since my studies weren\u2019t really planned or heading in\u00a0any particular direction at first, I\u00a0simply took the\u00a0opportunities that came my way. At the\u00a0time, Professor K\u0159\u00ed\u017e was working in\u00a0the\u00a0Geography Department at the\u00a0University of\u00a0Ostrava. He had been the\u00a0first director of\u00a0the\u00a0CHMI\u2019s\u00a0Ostrava branch and could, in\u00a0a\u00a0sense, be regarded as its founder. He had been my father\u2019s\u00a0boss, and for a\u00a0while my mother\u2019s\u00a0too, so those connections eventually led me to study physical geography at the\u00a0Faculty of\u00a0Science there.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u00a0know you have a\u00a0farm. So did you choose to live in\u00a0the\u00a0countryside?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Yes, I\u00a0live in\u00a0a\u00a0village not far from Opava. I\u2019m not really a\u00a0city person; I\u00a0like being close to nature. Even as a\u00a0boy, I\u00a0loved going off on hiking trips into the\u00a0woods. It was my main\u00a0hobby, and one that combined nicely with travelling by train\u00a0along local railway lines, many of\u00a0which have since been abandoned. I\u2019m still drawn to nature today. That\u2019s\u00a0why I\u00a0wanted to live somewhere outside the\u00a0city, where I\u00a0could be close to nature but still within\u00a0a\u00a0reasonable drive of\u00a0work.<\/span><\/p>\n Could that desire to head into the\u00a0woods, take the\u00a0dogs and get out into nature be a\u00a0kind of\u00a0escape from a\u00a0reality that isn\u2019t always entirely positive, particularly when it comes to climate change and projections for the\u00a0future?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Definitely. It unquestionably gives me a\u00a0sense of\u00a0peace. When my wife and I\u00a0take the\u00a0dogs into the\u00a0woods, we often hear people commenting on how miserable the\u00a0weather is or that it\u2019s\u00a0raining and we still have to go out. And I\u00a0would add: yes, we have to, but we also want to. What\u2019s\u00a0more, the\u00a0gloomier and less appealing the\u00a0weather, the\u00a0fewer people there are in\u00a0the\u00a0woods and the\u00a0better the\u00a0chances of\u00a0seeing more wildlife, so it clears your head all the\u00a0more. Above all, though, there\u2019s\u00a0something refreshing about being with dogs, which are always completely absorbed in\u00a0the\u00a0present moment, whatever the\u00a0circumstances and whatever the\u00a0time of\u00a0day or night. For me, it\u2019s\u00a0the\u00a0best form of\u00a0relaxation I\u00a0know \u2013 both mentally and physically.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u00a0know you\u2019re also a\u00a0keen nature photographer. After all, you regularly send me a\u00a0steady supply of\u00a0wonderful photographs for VTEI, for which I\u2019d like to thank you once again. How did you first get into photography?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I\u00a0got my first digital single-lens reflex camera around 2016. Before that I\u00a0had a\u00a0Panasonic Lumix, which even today is capable of\u00a0taking perfectly decent photographs for amateurs and semi-professionals. At first, I\u00a0went through a\u00a0phase when I\u00a0wanted to document absolutely everything, to understand nature and get to the\u00a0bottom of\u00a0it all, but I\u2019ve given up on that now. Nature is such a\u00a0complex, multilayered system that this is essentially a\u00a0futile ambition. It is enough to begin\u00a0to recognise and understand the\u00a0connections within\u00a0it, so that you can\u00a0do your own work better or pass on new knowledge to your students, professional colleagues, or the\u00a0wider scientific community.<\/span><\/p>\n At first, you have such an\u00a0appetite for photographs that if you come back from the\u00a0woods or the\u00a0river without a\u00a0perfect shot, you feel the\u00a0day has been wasted. Fortunately, that phase didn\u2019t last long for me. After that, my own ethical principle took precedence: if taking a\u00a0photograph might endanger a\u00a0clutch of\u00a0eggs or young animals, for example, or even cause an\u00a0animal to abandon them or result in\u00a0injury, then no photograph is worth it. These days, I\u00a0quite often find myself putting the\u00a0camera aside and simply trying to enjoy the\u00a0moment.<\/span><\/p>\n Did you first get into photography through Kozmice Bird Meadows, where you also help with maintenance and feeding?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Exactly. Kozmice was where I\u00a0first started taking photographs to specific briefs, focusing on particular animal species or on the\u00a0wild horses there. The\u00a0horses are particularly difficult to handle, and it is often very difficult to get close enough to photograph specific identifying marks, their colouring and so on. But that makes the\u00a0results all the\u00a0more valuable, and I\u00a0particularly treasure the\u00a0photographs that have turned out well.<\/span><\/p>\n Who introduced you to Kozmice Bird Meadows?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n It happened entirely by chance, which brings me to my belief that all the\u00a0important things in\u00a0life happen by chance. We were there walking the\u00a0dogs, as it isn\u2019t very far from where I\u00a0live, and the\u00a0site manager, Petr Bl\u00e1ha, who has since become a\u00a0very good friend, spontaneously struck up a\u00a0conversation with me about dogs, nature and so on, and we discovered that we had a\u00a0great deal in\u00a0common. I\u00a0told him that I\u00a0was particularly interested in\u00a0Kozmice from a\u00a0hydrological perspective, because the\u00a0CHMI has a\u00a0monitoring well nearby. Since then, our conversations and shared views on nature have developed into a\u00a0strong friendship, and whenever I\u00a0can, I\u00a0enjoy helping Petr with the\u00a0wild horses, as well as with the\u00a0Highland cattle that now live there.<\/span><\/p>\n How do these wild animals cope outdoors with the\u00a0heatwaves we experience nowadays? And which is actually worse for them \u2013 heat and drought, or freezing conditions when everything is covered in\u00a0snow and they don\u2019t have enough food?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Definitely drought and heat. To a\u00a0large extent, Kozmice Bird Meadows can\u00a0be seen as a\u00a0kind of\u00a0laboratory, because a\u00a0whole range of\u00a0habitats and ecosystems are developing across its 71 ha. It is essentially a\u00a0former fishpond landscape that was subsequently used for agriculture and has now been returned to nature, although succession has not yet reached a\u00a0state of\u00a0equilibrium everywhere. Water management is the\u00a0top priority there because not only various species of\u00a0waterbirds, such as waders, but also the\u00a0wild horses and Highland cattle depend on it. Quite simply, we cannot do without water, so dry years and periods of\u00a0hot weather aren\u2019t good for them either.<\/span><\/p>\n Another issue is open grassland versus forest. It is very clear there that, in\u00a0hot weather, not only the\u00a0birds but also all the\u00a0ungulates, including the\u00a0roe deer that live there, actively seek out shade and areas with higher moisture levels. So the\u00a0traditional and much-valued mosaic character of\u00a0the\u00a0Czech landscape remains an\u00a0ideal model for today\u2019s\u00a0cultural landscape for wild animals that are able to move freely in\u00a0search of\u00a0water.<\/span><\/p>\n By contrast, the\u00a0winter conditions you also asked about do not pose a\u00a0serious threat to them. The\u00a0main\u00a0problem is freezing rain\u00a0and ice, when they are unable to reach the\u00a0vegetation beneath it.<\/span><\/p>\n There have recently been reports in the media suggesting that some parts of the Czech Republic, such as South Moravia and Polab\u00ed, are already experiencing conditions more typical of a subtropical climate zone, with hot summers being compared to the climate of Mediterranean islands such as Hvar. What might this mean for us in the future? Is this trend expected to worsen, and according to CHMI projections, will temperatures continue to rise?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n As you know, CHMI and your T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute both collaborated on the\u00a0PERUN Competence Centre, where global scenarios were tested and downscaled for Central Europe and the\u00a0Czech Republic. There are also various other scenarios that start with socioeconomic factors, technology and population growth, which in\u00a0turn determine emission levels and so on. I\u00a0think it is clear even from the\u00a0official conclusions presented, for example, by my colleague Radim Tolasz, that we are not in\u00a0for an\u00a0idyllic time in\u00a0the\u00a0years ahead. If one of\u00a0the\u00a0intermediate scenarios comes to pass, rather than\u00a0the\u00a0worst-case one, we can\u00a0count ourselves relatively fortunate.<\/span><\/p>\n If I\u00a0put the\u00a0computer simulations to one side and look at it simply by taking a\u00a0walk through the\u00a0landscape, the\u00a0aridification is obvious. Not only are xerothermic communities expanding, but every gardener today knows that if you cut the\u00a0grass too short, the\u00a0lawn gets scorched and, without watering, nothing green is going to grow there, let alone flowers or herbs. And if I\u00a0look at it from my professional perspective as a\u00a0hydrologist, two things are clear. The\u00a0first is that extremes are increasing. You could say that total annual precipitation has not changed dramatically, but the\u00a0types of\u00a0precipitation and their distribution throughout the\u00a0year are changing. Winter precipitation is decreasing, markedly so at middle and lower elevations, which means that the\u00a0Oder-type flooding once used as a\u00a0textbook example, where spring snowmelt causes spring floods, has now virtually disappeared. The\u00a0second is that the\u00a0frequency of\u00a0thunderstorms and convective precipitation is increasing at the\u00a0same time. Rain\u00a0falls on the\u00a0landscape and often runs off outside the\u00a0watercourses; infiltration and percolation effectively do not take place. As a\u00a0result, it may take only a\u00a0few hours, or a\u00a0few days at most, to go from a\u00a0devastating flood to drought. To give you an\u00a0example from the\u00a0practical experience of\u00a0field technicians: when my father and his colleagues used to measure some of\u00a0these river profiles, they naturally had to take their measurements from a\u00a0bridge, whereas today we can\u00a0walk across them in\u00a0wellington boots. Flows have been declining over the\u00a0long term.<\/span><\/p>\n In this context, what impact do the views of those who criticise or reject climate change have, particularly when they are given a platform in the media? How do experts such as yourself view this?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n To be honest, I\u00a0have always tried to keep politics out of\u00a0both my private and professional life. What\u2019s\u00a0more, things taken out of\u00a0context can\u00a0be extremely dangerous. In\u00a0any case, whatever has been said on this subject, and however it was intended, it is not particularly helpful. This is precisely where the\u00a0fundamental problem lies. Experts generally acknowledge a\u00a0certain\u00a0degree of\u00a0uncertainty in\u00a0all data, scenarios and projections. To the\u00a0casual observer \u2013 someone sitting in\u00a0a\u00a0pub watching television, for example \u2013 that can\u00a0make an\u00a0expert look like a\u00a0bit of\u00a0a\u00a0\u201cfool\u201d who doesn\u2019t really know what they are talking about. By contrast, categorical political pronouncements, delivered with confidence and certainty, reinforce the\u00a0impression that the\u00a0person making them knows exactly what is what. To me, that is probably the\u00a0most dangerous aspect of\u00a0debates like these. I\u00a0believe that people in\u00a0all professions, politicians included, should recognise that we share a\u00a0common goal: the\u00a0sensible functioning of\u00a0civilisation and the\u00a0survival of\u00a0Homo sapiens<\/span> on this planet. Personal passions or attempts at self-promotion should take second place to that.<\/span><\/p>\n Two years ago, you and your colleagues measured discharges and carried out geodetic surveys of the high-water marks left by the September 2024 floods in the Jesen\u00edk area. Looking back, what has changed most in this field compared with the past? In other words, what are we now able to measure, what conclusions can we draw from these measurements, and how do mathematical models help us?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n In\u00a0this context, I\u2019m reminded of\u00a0a\u00a0saying which I\u00a0think also appeared in\u00a0one of\u00a0V\u00e1clav C\u00edlek\u2019s\u00a0books: \u201cIn\u00a0times of\u00a0drought, think of\u00a0floods, and vice versa.\u201d In\u00a0other words, drought and floods are the\u00a0two hydrological extremes, but they are essentially two sides of\u00a0the\u00a0same coin, interconnected phenomena.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u00a0think new technologies are helping us enormously, both to speed up and improve the\u00a0quality of\u00a0primary data collection in\u00a0the\u00a0field, including measurements taken during floods. This is also limited by whether we can\u00a0actually reach a\u00a0particular river and whether we can\u00a0take the\u00a0measurements without putting the\u00a0health and lives of\u00a0field staff at risk. Sometimes that is the\u00a0most difficult part. And I\u2019m not even talking about individual gauging stations or monitoring profiles \u2013 some stations in\u00a0the\u00a0area covered by our branch literally disappeared from the\u00a0map of\u00a0the\u00a0Czech Republic during those floods.<\/span><\/p>\n If I\u00a0compare today\u2019s\u00a0measurements using sonar, which can\u00a0process acoustic data, with the\u00a0current meters that used to be lowered from a\u00a0bridge on a\u00a0suspension cable, we are now in\u00a0a\u00a0completely different league, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Sonar has its limitations too, but under good conditions it can\u00a0immediately plot the\u00a0cross-section and velocity field and calculate the\u00a0discharge, so if local mayors have any questions, we already have the\u00a0information to hand there and then, on the\u00a0riverbank or bridge. A\u00a0second major benefit is the\u00a0ability to process and convert the\u00a0data digitally using mathematical models and geographic information systems.<\/span><\/p>\n The\u00a0flood report produced at the\u00a0time, which is available for download from the\u00a0Ministry of\u00a0the\u00a0Environment website, shows, among other things, that without the\u00a0aid of\u00a0mathematical models it would have been impossible to determine the\u00a0magnitude of\u00a0the\u00a0flood at some river profiles and along some reaches. Hydrology textbooks generally give flow velocities during natural floods of\u00a0between four and four and a\u00a0half metres per second; my colleagues and I\u00a0routinely measured six metres per second.<\/span><\/p>\n After the\u00a0horrors of\u00a02024, is it possible to find anything positive in\u00a0what happened \u2013 perhaps lessons for the\u00a0future?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I always try to find something positive. For example, we have begun making much greater use of remote sensing data, which, together with our field\u00a0<\/span>measurements, have been used to calibrate hydraulic models for evaluating peak discharges and the\u00a0extent of\u00a0flooding. If I\u00a0compare this with the\u00a0last similarly catastrophic flood in\u00a0Moravia and Silesia, in\u00a01997, these technologies were still in\u00a0their infancy and adequate data were not available either. Nevertheless, nature is still the\u00a0stronger player in\u00a0this game we are playing.<\/span><\/p>\n Do you ever worry that current trends towards rejecting or denying climate change could lead to real dangers, for example by underestimating the\u00a0severity of\u00a0a\u00a0flood and the\u00a0risks it poses?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Of\u00a0course. Unfortunately, that is something I\u00a0have experienced myself. Before the\u00a02024 floods, the\u00a0hydrological and meteorological models were in\u00a0very close agreement, so there was growing confidence that a\u00a0truly catastrophic flood was approaching, with a\u00a0magnitude and characteristics comparable to the\u00a01997 flood. Despite this, I\u00a0heard a\u00a0dismissive response from around 30\u201340% of\u00a0people: \u201cSurely something like that can\u2019t happen again.\u201d I\u00a0found that utterly incomprehensible. After the\u00a0floods, I\u00a0spoke to firefighters and officers from the\u00a0Police of\u00a0the\u00a0Czech Republic, who described how they had had to rescue by helicopter people who had refused to leave their homes when the\u00a0evacuation order was issued, plucking them from trees and rooftops. It had been a\u00a0matter of\u00a0seconds and quite literally a\u00a0matter of\u00a0life and death. It was a\u00a0deeply disturbing thing to hear. So I\u00a0would once again\u00a0urge everyone never to take the\u00a0risks indicated by flood forecasts lightly. What\u2019s\u00a0more, I\u00a0would venture to say that flood extremes are more likely to increase than\u00a0decrease.<\/span><\/p>\n Would you say that public awareness has improved since the\u00a0floods of\u00a01997 and 2002? Do models also help you with forecasting?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Definitely. The\u00a0systems are more sophisticated and, above all, warning information is now distributed much more quickly and effectively. I\u00a0understand that there can\u00a0sometimes be too much information for the\u00a0general public and that non-specialists can\u00a0occasionally become lost in\u00a0all the\u00a0communication noise. In\u00a0any case, in\u00a0terms of\u00a0the\u00a0availability of\u00a0information, the\u00a0speed of\u00a0calculations and the\u00a0production of\u00a0forecasts \u2013 whether rainfall-runoff models used to estimate peak discharges or meteorological models used to determine where the\u00a0heaviest concentration of\u00a0rainfall will occur \u2013 we are at the\u00a0technological forefront, and anyone has the\u00a0opportunity to access this information.<\/span><\/p>\n Let me now touch on a\u00a0favourite Czech topic: would dams and large reservoirs help in\u00a0our situation?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019ll start by taking a slightly broader view. The fundamental point, as I see it, is that we live in a cultural landscape. This means that, whether we like it or not, apart from the occasional hiking trip or holiday, we are accustomed to enjoying the benefits of modern technology. Manufacturing cars, computers or mobile phones obviously consumes water, while our everyday needs in terms of food and hygiene also entail a certain level of water consumption, whether we live in a town or in the countryside. So when someone calls categorically for the removal of technical flood-protection or water-management measures and advocates a return to nature, I think that is simply no longer achievable. What I mean is that nowadays we cannot do without reservoirs, whether for flood protection, energy generation, supplying water to households and industry, or other purposes. The demand for water and for a certain level of comfort is considerable.<\/span><\/p>\n In\u00a0any case, if reservoirs are going to be built, they should be designed to be as efficient as possible, both in\u00a0terms of\u00a0their design and capacity and their operating parameters \u2013 in\u00a0other words, what their priorities are. For example, whether their primary function is power generation, as at Dlouh\u00e9 Str\u00e1n\u011b, or whether they are multipurpose hydraulic structures that provide water supplies as well as flood protection.<\/span><\/p>\n When Professor Pavel Pech from the Faculty of Environmental Sciences at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague was sitting in this chair about three years ago, one of the things I asked him about was the construction of large reservoirs and dams in the Czech Republic, including Nov\u00e9 He\u0159minovy, and why \u2013 to put it in layman\u2019s terms \u2013 everything takes such an incredibly long time here. Apparently, the Nov\u00e9 He\u0159minovy dam was first planned after the floods of 1997.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n It is certainly a\u00a0protracted process, partly because governments keep changing in\u00a0this country, and with them their priorities and stated objectives. But if I\u00a0may, I\u2019d like to correct you on one point \u2013 although there was really no way you could have known this. Do you remember when we were putting together our team\u2019s\u00a0article reconstructing the\u00a0historic 1903 flood in\u00a0the\u00a0Opava catchment\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n \u2026 Of\u00a0course, that was only recently (the\u00a0paper by Associate Professor Unucka et al. was published in\u00a0VTEI in\u00a0June this year; author\u2019s\u00a0note<\/em>).<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u2026 Well, while working on it, I\u00a0began\u00a0collaborating closely with Dr Irena Moravcov\u00e1 from the\u00a0Silesian\u00a0Museum in\u00a0Opava, and we discovered that the\u00a0first proposals to build a\u00a0dam at Nov\u00e9 He\u0159minovy actually date from around that time.<\/span><\/p>\n So in\u00a0reality, it has already been more than\u00a0120 years?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Yes (laughs<\/em>).<\/span> After the catastrophic flood of 1903, a joint Prussian and Austro-Hungarian\u00a0commission identified a\u00a0site in\u00a0the\u00a0Opava valley as suitable for the\u00a0construction of\u00a0a\u00a0hydraulic structure. Cross-sections and a\u00a0longitudinal profile were surveyed, and initial proposals were even made for the\u00a0basic parameters of\u00a0the\u00a0dam itself. So the\u00a01997 flood really only revived an\u00a0idea that had been forgotten in\u00a0the\u00a0meantime.<\/span><\/p>\n Another important aspect from my perspective is how the\u00a0issue is presented. Every flood-protection measure has its limitations, whether it is biotechnical and nature-based or a\u00a0conventional water-management measure. And it is only fair to acknowledge that every hydraulic structure has a\u00a0finite capacity and an\u00a0initial water level. It is precisely this limitation on storage capacity that has been the\u00a0main\u00a0sticking point in\u00a0the\u00a0protracted debate between supporters and opponents of\u00a0the\u00a0dam.<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s\u00a0return to the\u00a0other extreme, drought. Is there a\u00a0real risk that we could face water shortages \u2013 or, more specifically, a\u00a0shortage of\u00a0drinking water for the\u00a0population as a\u00a0whole?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I\u00a0think it has already happened several times. Indeed, that is one of\u00a0the\u00a0reasons why regional Drought Management Plans were drawn up at national level. However, their implementation in\u00a0practice is still in\u00a0its infancy, and local and regional authorities do not yet have sufficient practical experience of\u00a0implementing them. Nevertheless, the\u00a0plans do exist and are available to the\u00a0regional authorities. In\u00a0my view, nature has so far been fairly kind to us here in\u00a0Central Europe, and we have not yet reached an\u00a0extreme where the\u00a0most stringent measures would have had to be introduced. But some restrictions were already in\u00a0place here between 2017 and 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n Of\u00a0course, looking at the\u00a0rest of\u00a0the\u00a0world, it would be foolish to dismiss the\u00a0possibility of\u00a0drinking-water shortages on the\u00a0grounds that the\u00a0problem does not concern us. Water and drinking are physiological necessities, and we cannot survive without them. After all, history has been showing us since ancient times that shortages of\u00a0water and food can\u00a0even lead to the\u00a0collapse of\u00a0civilisations.<\/span><\/p>\n Speaking of history, you\u2019ve just given me a lead-in to my next question. Could we say that if a meteorologist, a hydrologist and, for example, a historian from an archive were sitting around the same table, they would have plenty to talk about and would find some common ground in their work? You also mentioned the police and firefighters in connection with floods, so is it really about all these people working together?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Definitely. There is a\u00a0willingness to work together, and we even have friendly ties and relationships with one another, so the\u00a0collaboration works very well. In\u00a0fact, that is what I\u00a0like most about hydrology \u2013 it lies at the\u00a0interface between the\u00a0natural and engineering sciences, while historical floods also give it a\u00a0connection with the\u00a0social sciences and history, offering a\u00a0rather romantic glimpse of\u00a0the\u00a0landscapes of\u00a0Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia in\u00a0the\u00a0past.<\/span><\/p>\n And we then put that into practice. For example, CHMI regularly takes part in\u00a0the\u00a0Water Mills<\/span> event organised by the \u00dast\u00ed nad Orlic\u00ed Museum and its director, Dr Radim Urb\u00e1nek. Several times during our presentations there, I\u2019ve asked\u00a0<\/span>Radim whether our participation in\u00a0the\u00a0event isn\u2019t becoming a\u00a0little stale, but his response is always that we bring a\u00a0different perspective that historians don\u2019t have. And conversely, to return to Dr Moravcov\u00e1, I\u00a0would have been completely overwhelmed in\u00a0the\u00a0archive by piles of\u00a0files on the\u00a0table and, without her insight, I\u00a0wouldn\u2019t have had the\u00a0slightest idea where to begin\u00a0or what to photocopy first. They have thoroughly mastered their own craft, and it is precisely this interaction with us natural scientists and hydrologists that creates added value: on the\u00a0one hand, the\u00a0historical experience and knowledge of\u00a0the\u00a0landscape of\u00a0our ancestors, to use a\u00a0familiar phrase, and on the\u00a0other, lessons for the\u00a0present \u2013 for example, how we can\u00a0manage water in\u00a0today\u2019s\u00a0landscape more effectively. I\u00a0don\u2019t think hydrologists alone could piece all that together without historians and archivists.<\/span><\/p>\n Do you have a\u00a0favourite place? Given how often your work takes you out into the\u00a0field, I\u2019m sure there must be quite a\u00a0few in\u00a0Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia\u2026<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n People probably expect a\u00a0hydrologist to say\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u00a0love water\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Exactly (laughs<\/span><\/em>).<\/span> I\u00a0really do love rivers, and I\u00a0try to spend time by them in\u00a0my private life too, when I\u00a0can\u00a0put my professional work to one side and simply appreciate them as beautiful places. I\u00a0have three favourite catchments in\u00a0the\u00a0Czech Republic. One is definitely the\u00a0K\u0159inice in\u00a0Bohemian\u00a0Switzerland, another is the\u00a0B\u0159ezn\u00e1 around \u0160t\u00edty and Ho\u0161tejn \u2013 for me, the\u00a0B\u0159ezn\u00e1 valley is one of\u00a0the\u00a0most beautiful I\u00a0know \u2013 and then there is the\u00a0\u010cern\u00e1 Opava, or more broadly the\u00a0Opava catchment and its tributaries, around Rejv\u00edz and the\u00a0boundary between the\u00a0Hrub\u00fd Jesen\u00edk and N\u00edzk\u00fd Jesen\u00edk mountains.<\/span><\/p>\n And speaking purely for myself, one of\u00a0my favourite places is Jakartovice, where I\u00a0used to go hiking even as a\u00a0boy. It is a\u00a0wonderfully romantic landscape of\u00a0former slate mines and flooded mine workings, a\u00a0place that holds many memories for me, and it is also fascinating in\u00a0terms of\u00a0its wildlife. The\u00a0Eurasian\u00a0eagle-owl, for example, is quite common there, although it is otherwise almost absent from the\u00a0N\u00edzk\u00fd Jesen\u00edk, as is our smallest owl, the\u00a0Eurasian\u00a0pygmy owl, which I\u00a0have even managed to photograph a\u00a0few times. Fortunately, it isn\u2019t particularly shy \u2013 rather cheeky, in\u00a0fact. :-) These are the\u00a0places closest to my heart, the\u00a0ones I\u2019m always happy to return to.<\/span><\/p>\n Does your work leave you enough time for that?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Sometimes more, sometimes less. Unfortunately, mostly less. But whenever I\u00a0can, I\u00a0try to spend all my free time in\u00a0nature. I\u00a0have to admit that, despite being from Ostrava, I\u2019ve never even been to the\u00a0Karolina shopping centre.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u00a0understand. So it\u2019s\u00a0more about escaping into the\u00a0woods and spending time with your dogs\u2026<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Yes. Animals are always a reminder to me that, in our arrogance, we humans still tend to think of ourselves as the masters of creation, simply because animals do not possess articulate speech. But that does not mean they cannot do some things better than we can. Often it is a matter of subtle vibrations that lie beyond the limits\u00a0 of human perception. I know that certain types of dogs, cats and birds, as well as other animals I have had the opportunity to get to know better, are far more attuned to these things than humans are.<\/span><\/p>\n What I love most about dogs in general is their straightforwardness and the way they express their emotions so openly. We should enjoy moments like that more and appreciate every day we have with them. After moving to the countryside, I ended up \u2013 again, entirely by chance \u2013 breeding livestock guardian dogs. I always say that I didn\u2019t teach them; they taught me, because they are a completely different type of dog. You cannot drill them into obedience \u2013 with them, it really is all about partnership. And that makes the relationship all the more rewarding and, for me, all the more beautiful.<\/span><\/p>\n Associate Professor, I\u00a0wish you not only good health and every success in\u00a0your work, but also many wonderful moments in\u00a0nature with your canine companions. Thank you for taking the\u00a0time to travel to Prague and give me this interview for VTEI. I\u00a0would also like to thank you once again\u00a0for all your photographs of\u00a0nature and for our excellent collaboration, which I\u00a0hope will continue for many years to come.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/rozhovor-obr-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/h6>\nFig.\u00a01. Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Jan\u00a0Unucka, Ph.D., with\u00a0his dogs \u2013 from left: Leonberger, Pyrenean\u00a0Mastiff, Spanish Mastiff<\/h6>\n
<\/a>\nFig. 2. Exmoor pony in winter, Kozmice Bird Meadows<\/h6>\n
<\/a>\nFig.\u00a03. Taking measurements on Kobyl\u00ed stream near Karlovice with former fellow student and colleague Dr Martin\u00a0Adamec<\/h6>\n
<\/a>\nObr. 3. Se spolu\u017e\u00e1kem a kolegou Dr. Martinem Adamcem p\u0159i m\u011b\u0159en\u00ed na Kobyl\u00edm potoce\u00a0u Karlovic<\/h6>\n
<\/a>\nFig.\u00a04. Taking measurements in\u00a0Slu\u010d\u00ed stream experimental catchment below Rejv\u00edz, operated by the\u00a0Forestry and Game Management Research Institute and CHMI<\/h6>\n
<\/a>\nFig. 5. Common crane after arriving at Kozmice Bird Meadows<\/h6>\n