New bridge opens as part of Slovenia's flood protection efforts

Slovenia has officially opened a new bridge on the Polulah, a significant anti-flood measure located between Celje and Laško. The opening ceremony was attended by Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning Polona Rifelj, state secretary for infrastructure Damjan Jaklin, and local officials.

The bridge, a key component of flood protection efforts, was financed by the water directorate and represents an investment of 15 million euros. Minister Rifelj highlighted enhanced flood protection as a priority for her ministry, which now oversees a budget exceeding one billion euros.

Her ministry has undergone a reorganization, consolidating tasks previously spread across three ministries and one government office. This integration aims to manage interconnected areas including environment, nature, climate, spatial planning, housing construction, water management, and post-disaster recovery. Rifelj emphasized that these areas directly impact the quality of life for citizens and the development of municipalities and the economy.

The ministry's new structure is intended to streamline efforts and improve the effectiveness of policies related to these critical domains. The opening of the Polulah bridge serves as a tangible example of the progress being made in bolstering the country's resilience against natural disasters.

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We are combining the areas of environment, nature, climate, space, housing construction, water, and recovery after natural disasters. These are substantively related areas that most directly affect people's quality of life, the development of municipalities, the economy, and...