Modifying design standards : the 2023 Extreme flood’s impact on design discharges in Slovenia

Šraj, Mojca (author), Bezak, Nejc (author)

An extreme flood event occurred in Slovenia in August 2023. This study evaluated the influence of this extreme flood on the design discharges in Slovenia. This evaluation was based on flood frequency analysis for the data from 33 gauging stations. Analyses were conducted with and without the 2023 peak discharge, i.e., for the periods 1961–2022 and 1961–2023, using eight different theoretical distribution functions. In addition, specific discharge values for the 2023 flood event were analyzed and compared with regional envelope curves for Europe. The findings of the study indicate that the impact of a single flood event on the design discharge values can be substantial. Moreover, an analysis of the specific discharges resulting from the 2023 flood event in Slovenia reveals that the values for all gauging stations considered are below the regional envelopes. Concurrently, the analysis indicates that a flood event larger than the 2023 event may occur in the future.

• Language: English
• Keywords: design discharge, extreme flood 2023, flood frequency analysis, return period, specific discharge, Slovenia
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FGG - Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Author Accepted Manuscript
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 14 str.
• Numbering: vol. 17, no. 15, art. 2198
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-171153
• UDC: 556.3
• ISSN on article: 2073-4441
• DOI: 10.3390/w17152198
• COBISS.SI-ID: 245450243
• Publication date in RUL: 12.08.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Water
• Shortened title: Water
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2073-4441
• COBISS.SI-ID: 36731653

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: projektni pretok, ekstremna poplava 2023, analiza pogostosti poplav, povratna doba, specifični pretok, Slovenija

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P2-0180-2022
• Name: Vodarstvo in geotehnika: orodja in metode za analize in simulacije procesov ter razvoj tehnologij