One year after the worst floods in Slovenia's history, the feelings are mixed. While officials point to extensive work done on reconstruction and substantial financial assistance paid to people and businesses, the affected communities and residents feel progress has been slow, obstructed by red tape.

Torrential rain assessed to occur at this magnitude about once in 250 years hit Slovenia in early August 2023. Most of the rain fell in less than six hours, with record daily totals measured at several gauging sites on 4 August. In some spots, the amount exceed 200 millimetres of rain in 24 hours.

After July had been exceptionally wet already, the extreme rainfall caused three of Slovenia's largest rivers - the Sava, Drava and Mura - and their tributaries to flood simultaneously. Torrents rose violently, triggering a record 10,000 landslides.

Six people were killed and over 13,000 buildings were damaged, including nearly 9,000 residential buildings, with the total damage from the disaster and its consequences bearing on the population, economy and the environment estimated at €9.9 billion.

The tragedy triggered strong solidarity and widespread relief efforts, including aid on the ground coming from abroad.

Municipalities were quickly reimbursed for emergency measures and received advance payments for part of the reconstruction, but major challenges and expenses still lie ahead.

We will not let anyone down, says government's point man

Boštjan Šefic, the head of the government's reconstruction office, says that a lot has been achieved in the first year. "We don't have a magic wand, but I can assure you that we will engage all institutions to help. We will not let anyone down," he told the Slovenian Press Agency (STA).

While a large part of the reconstruction and announced projects are still in the planning stage, he says a key objective is to increase resilience for the future.

He describes the scope of the office's tasks as enormous. Emergency measures related to infrastructure and water, as well as assistance to individuals had to be coordinated in the first months, followed by work on needed legislation and close cooperation with municipalities and those affected.

However, the general public and the communities and people affected see the situation differently with a recent poll commissioned by POP TV, Slovenia's most poplar TV channel, showing that 72% of those questioned believe post-flood reconstruction has been inefficient, with almost 30% describing it as completely inefficient.

People left in limbo

A key topic of debate has been the slow procedures regarding the roughly 350 homes that have been slated for demolition because they are no longer deemed safe, as well procedures allowing those affected to choose between a state-funded replacement building to be built on a new location, financial compensation, or purchasing a replacement property with support from the state.

Only a few buildings have been torn down so far, with reactions to the plans being mixed and triggering threats of civil disobedience and activation of the European Court of Human Rights.

The vast majority of those affected are expected to opt for financial compensation, with no cases finalised yet, which leaves the families in a limbo, unable to take steps to build new homes for themselves.

Just one replacement home has been secured so far, however not by the state but by a group of private donors, who faced red tape in the effort. In fact only one owner has so far expressed interest in a state-provided replacement home.

"If we were to sign a contract on a replacement home with someone in August, construction could start this year, provided of course that the municipality provides the land," Šefic says, noting that this could prove very difficult in some areas.

Mammoth task

The National Technical Office has been in charge of most procedures and has taken a lot of flak for the pace of progress, but Šefic argues it has performed a mammoth task so far. It has inspected nearly 800 flooded and damaged buildings, produced some 300 expert opinions, inspected some 250 landslides and prepared 90 geological and geotechnical reports.

The major challenge has been a lack of technical staff and Šefic has advised municipalities to prioritise projects, as too much has to be done simultaneously in various parts of the country - the issue at hand will not only be a shortage of planners but also of quality contractors.

Presenting the latest data on 31 July, Jure Leben, a state secretary at the PM's office, said so far expert opinions for 343 buildings have been concluded.

Appraisals are still being made and some of those affected have already been sent contracts to accept compensation for their homes. So far 27 appraisal reports have been presented and in 17 cases people accepted the sums offered.

"I'm glad people opt for compensation, that they will take care of construction of their homes themselves. A lot has been done, but I'm aware some of the things could have been done differently," Leben said, adding that the important thing is to learn from experience to respond better next time.

The reconstruction office's key tasks in the coming months will be to wrap up all procedures and secure compensation payments and replacement homes. At the same time, rehabilitation of watercourses, road infrastructure and landslides will continue, Šefic says.

The latter point, coupled with the need for less red tape, has been highlighted by many of the municipalities that were effected.

Some of the worst hit areas were those in the Upper Savinja Valley, the Koroška region, as well as to some extent the Gorenjska region, the central region around Ljubljana and Kamnik, and sections along the Mura.

The Water Agency significantly stepped up work on watercourses after the disaster and extended the emergency measures until 30 June this year. In total, work was done at 1,486 locations.

Work to restore the water infrastructure to a functional and climate-resilient state will continue in line with a programme adopted by the government in May this year that includes measures until 2028.

Anxiety whenever it rains

Among the areas presently subject to intensive measures is Koroška in the north of the country, but Črna Mayor Romana Lesjak has urged speedier proceedings, saying the people of the town that was completely cut off from the world during the floods are still looking up at the sky in horror anytime heavy rain returns.

Only recently, heavy rain undid some of the work already done and people are increasingly anxious, fearing what may happen every time there is a bad weather forecast.

Work on the watercourses needs to proceed faster, "because the psychological pressure is hard on the people, and that cannot be measured in any kind of money," Lesjak told the STA. She was happy to report though that tourists are starting to return to the region.