An event took place last March 31 in Zadar to present the rain gardens and a smart drainage system built in the garden of the primary school in Ploča, in Zadar. 

The construction of rain gardens is part of the STREAM pilot project in Zadar, and these smart drainage systems are modern construction solutions that work on the principle of rainwater collectors that retain larger amounts of water, along with plants that possess significant absorption potential. This prevents floods caused by large amounts of rainfall in a short period of time (pluvial floods).

The event run in an uplifting spring atmosphere thanks to the participation of the school children. The Mayor of the city of Zadar collaborated with the children in planting an olive tree as part of the new garden refurbishment. The director of the ZADRA NOVA Development Agency, Marina Dujmović Vuković, explained that these smart drainage systems are designed to prevent future catastrophic events, whilst also functioning as a space for socializing and playing. The director went on to say that the rain gardens in Zadar and Biograd, which were recently built, are among the first of their kind in Croatia. Additionally, thanks to funding provided by the STREAM project, project solutions for three new rain gardens will be developed. Mayor Dukić emphasized that the funds used in this project have contributed not only to the local community but also to the education, adding that more green areas, parks, and rain gardens must be built to prevent flooding. Deputy prefect Vicković said that the risks of floods are high given that the city is located right on the coast, and he hopes that the flood from 2017 will not happen again.

The event was attended by 93 participants in total who were fully informed of STREAM activities also by the distribution of the leaflets and other materials.