We Catch and Retain, Michalovce (2026)

14/07/2026

💧 The Kindergarten on Okružná Street is now retaining rainwater

At the end of June, the Town of Michalovce received a final decision to use the construction of Water Retention Measures at the Kindergarten (MŠ) on Okružná Street, thus successfully completing the construction part of the cross-border project WeCaRe (We Catch and Retain: rainwater collection, anti-flood and greening measures in border municipalities of HU-SK-UA region).
What water retention measures were implemented in the area of the Kindergarten on Okružná Street:
🌱A new layer was built on the roof of the farm pavilion building, from which rainwater is drained into two underground collection tanks. Subsequently, an overflow is led from them into the retention polders, which flows into up to 11-meter-deep infiltration wells.
🌱 The other two kindergarten pavilions have a green roof, thanks to which the thermal insulation properties of the upper rooms are expected to improve throughout the year.
🌱The impermeable concrete terrace was replaced with a wooden one.
🌱Raised flower beds with fruit trees were also added.
🌱A teaching garden for growing herbs was planted, which kindergarten students will water with collected rainwater from above-ground containers.
💶For the implementation of project activities, the city received a non-refundable financial contribution of 778,684.65 euros within the framework of the Interreg VI-A Next cross-border program.
🇪🇺 Michalovce is implementing this project together with the Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod and the Hungarian city of Sátoraljaújhely from April 1, 2025 with an expected completion date of March 31, 2027 and total support from the European Union (EU) of 2,257,616.20 euros.
The project is implemented with the support of the European Union under the Interreg VI-A NEXT Hungary–Slovakia–Romania–Ukraine Programme.
This post was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Town of Michalovce and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

23/06/2026

Today's sunny day🌞 belonged to another working meeting of representatives of the partner cities of Michalovce and Satoraljaujhely.
🌿Under the guidance of the expert designer Mr. Molnár, we learned the exact details of the planned water retention and flood control measures at the Hungarian partner. We understood what administrative burden the municipality had to go through to prepare the documents in accordance with the Interreg program. After studying the project documentation at the Municipal office, we set off for the city, which has been struggling with frequent and large floods for a long time. Water flowing from the adjacent steep slopes carries sediment with it and spills out of the riverbed, which will now be cleaned thanks to the WeCaRe project, the Majuskút stream will be rebuilt to slow down the water flow, and a dam will be built on Ó-Ronyva and will serve to retain rainwater used for watering greenery.💦
🌿Today's meeting allowed us to understand the details of such a complex but necessary solution for the city of Satoraljaujhely, and we are glad that they are one step closer to achieving their project objective.

The project is implemented with the support of the European Union under the Interreg VI-A NEXT Hungary–Slovakia–Romania–Ukraine Programme.
This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Town of Michalovce and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

19/06/2026

Rainwater, Green Solutions, and a Little Hands-On Practice 🌿💧
How can we make cities cooler during hot summer days? Why should rainwater be collected and reused instead of simply being drained away? And what role can ordinary shrubs planted near a school play in this process?
👉 These were some of the questions discussed by students from Uzhhorod schools during lectures and practical workshops held within the framework of the project “WeCaRe – We Catch and Retain: Rainwater Collection, Anti-Flood and Greening Measures in Border Municipalities of the Hungary–Slovakia–Ukraine Region.”
👉 The programme began with theory – but certainly not the dry kind. Students explored how climate change affects urban areas, why asphalt and concrete heat up so quickly, how urban heat islands are formed, and why green roofs, rain gardens and rainwater harvesting systems are becoming not just innovative, but essential solutions for modern communities.
👉 Then came the practical part. Participants took part in planting shrubs that help retain rainwater, preserve soil moisture and support biodiversity. Through this hands-on activity, students learned that environmental solutions are not only about complex technologies or large-scale investments, but also about simple actions that can be implemented right next to their schools.
🌿These activities help young people better understand the connection between cities, nature and water, and demonstrate that the future of sustainable communities begins with simple yet well-thought-out solutions 🌍

The project is implemented with the support of the European Union under the Interreg VI-A NEXT Hungary–Slovakia–Romania–Ukraine Programme.

This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Zakarpattia Regional Development Agency and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

04/06/2026

🌿Today, June 4, 2026, is significant for the city in terms of cross-border cooperation and communication in the WeCaRe project, when representatives of all three municipalities of Michalovce, Užhorod and Satoraljaujhely 🇸🇰🇺🇦🇭🇺 had the opportunity to meet in person at the final event of the Training Programme on the topic: Rainwater harvesting and its use in urban environments: techniques, technologies and practical solutions implemented under the leadership of an expert in water retention measures, Mr. Michal Kravčík.
🌿During the lecture:
👉 we recalled knowledge about the causes of urban overheating and the creation of heat islands,
👉 emphasized the necessity of changing the current rainwater management and
👉 we presented specific types of solutions in practice.
🌿After a short free presentation, we moved to the Okružná Kindergarten complex, where all planned water retention measures were successfully implemented and today we can effectively use them and present them to partners as a source of inspiration for the effective use of retained rainwater.
🌿We thank all participants for their active participation, every question and feedback, and we can already look forward to continuing the relay to the partner city of Užhorod, which is preparing a cross-border forum within the WeCaRe project. We will end these joint partnership activities in the city of Satoraljaújhely with a tour of their flood protection measures.

28/05/2026

🌿An excerpt from an information leaflet prepared especially for the 3rd session of the Training Programme, which will take place next week on June 4, 2026 in Michalovce as part of the joint green project WeCaRe, because "we really care".😊
🌿In the three partner cities of the WeCaRe project – Michalovce, Uzhhorod, Sátoraljaújhely 🇸🇰🇺🇦🇭🇺 , average annual temperatures have risen by more than 2.7 degrees Celsius over the past 50 years.
🌿These cities, like all other cities in the region and in Europe, have a fixed rainwater drainage system through the city sewerage system in their zoning plans. Both rainwater and wastewater drain into the city sewer. The Water Framework Directive, approved by the EU as early as 2000, mobilises the separation of rainwater from wastewater by double sewage.
🌿This agenda cannot be put into practice, because it is not easy to dig up entire cities and make double sewers, as it is financially unbearable. However, another solution can be implemented, namely the use of rainwater for air conditioning of cities through increased evaporation of water from green zones, so that we do not create heat islands in which there is increased temperature, reduced humidity and increased dustiness, which our children breathe and suffer from respiratory and allergic diseases.
🌿From roads, roofs, parking lots, sidewalks, and any other hardened and compacted earth surfaces, we channel the rainwater that soaked into the soil before sealing the earth's surface, replenished soil and groundwater, evaporated through vegetation and subsequently humidified the air, and the consumed solar heat on evaporation was carried away and the city was air-conditioned. Therefore, in the past, there were much lower temperatures in cities.
🌿It is the cities that are partners in the WeCaRe project that could be the first swallows in Europe to comprehensively air condition their territories by increasing evaporation from green zones.

30/03/2026

🌿On March 27, 2026, representatives of the partner cities of Uzhhorod and Michalovce in the WeCaRe project met again at a working meeting, the main topic of which was to present the construction work to date at the Okružná Kindergarten in Michalovce.
🌿The presentation, led by construction supervisor M. Jurčišin, introduced the Deputy Mayor, Mr. Ivan Zavidnyak, the principals of the Veselka and Dzhereltsia schools, as well as the project managers, to the working procedures of water retention measures (building a green roof, infiltration underground eco-drainage, safety boreholes).
🌿The visit was supplemented by a site visit to the site, where all additional questions were answered.
🌿The work at the Okružná Kindergarten in Michalovce will be completely completed in April.

19/03/2026

🌿 On March 17, 2026, within the framework of the WeCaRe project, the project managers of the partner cities of Michalovce and Uzhhorod met for a working meeting connected with a site visit of two educational institutions "Veselka" 🏫 and "Yalynka" 🏫, which will receive water retention measures thanks to the joint WeCaRe project.
💧The rainwater will be collected from the roofs, treated and stored for further use for household needs, such as watering lawns, mopping floors, flushing toilets with the installation of a separate technical water supply system supplemented by a 40 m2 greenhouse.
🌿 In addition to these two institutions, Dzhereltse Primary School 🏫is also involved in the project with the same planned water retention measures.
🌿 The Ukrainian partner is currently in the preparatory process for launching a public procurement for the construction contractor.
We believe that the process will run smoothly and quickly so that changes for the better in the city will come as soon as possible.

09/01/2026

The second online session of the Training Programme within the WeCaRe project was also successful. Today, representatives of the partner cities of Michalovce, Uzhhorod, Satorlajujhely 🇸🇰🇺🇦🇭🇺 could meet again in an online space, which was dedicated to the topic:
🌿 Methodological procedures for the use of rainwater for cooling cities, necessary changes in spatial planning, legislative instruments at the city level, types of solutions and their use in urban structures.

The lecture led by an expert on water retention measures, Mr. Michal Kravčík, reminded us how valuable rainwater is and how we can use it effectively. He presented a proposal for types of measures in the structures of the urbanized landscape and transport infrastructure, among which he included:

🌿Legislative instruments
🌿Rainwater collection from paved areas
🌿Decentralisation of wastewater treatment
🌿Root Water Purifier
🌿Promoting meadow ecosystems

The motto of the meeting "leave rainwater in the area" was felt throughout the meeting and I believe that it will become a motto as much as possible not only in partner cities, but increasingly in other municipalities.

02/12/2025

👉Yesterday, December 1, 2025, not only did a new month begin, but also our Training Programme on the topic of Causes of urban overheating and the creation of heat islands, water circulation in time and space, desertification and changes in urban temperatures, the impact of rainwater management on the creation of heat islands and the use of rainwater to improve urban air conditioning with an impact on the economy of cities and municipalities within the WeCaRe project.
👉The online lecture was led by Mr. Michal Kravčík, a Goldman Environment Prize winner 🏅, who has developed and published a theory, the New Water Paradigm: Water for the Recovery of the Climate).
👉10 participants from each partner city (Michalovce, Užhorod, Sátoraljaujhely) participated 🇸🇰🇺🇦🇭🇺, who were introduced to the issue of land drying.
👉As part of this Training Programme, we will meet in the online space for a lecture once again, which will be supplemented by an in person meeting associated with a visit to a site with an implemented water retention measure in the city of Michalovce.🌿

27/11/2025

🌿Within the framework of the project WeCaRe, the Sátoraljaújhely City Municipality intends to solve the management of the Ó-Ronyva river bed in the critical sections of the Májuskút stream in the inner area, as well as in the outer area in the form of the flood protection dam which will provide irrigation water for the inner green areas.
🌿Just because the project implementation location is close to the railways, it was necessary to go through the mandatory administrative process, which was successful.
🌿This month, the owner's consent was received from the Hungarian State Railways 🇭🇺. After the water rights establishment permit procedure will be completed, the public procurement can be launched and the works on the Májuskút stream and Ó-Ronyva river can start.

We Catch and Retain

14/07/2026

23/06/2026

19/06/2026

04/06/2026

28/05/2026

30/03/2026

19/03/2026

09/01/2026

02/12/2025

27/11/2025

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