Wetland Management in Slovakia and the Carpathian Wetland Initiative Ján Kadlečík and Tereza Thompson The State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic / Carpathian Wetland Initiative
Welcome to Slovakia 49,035 km 2 Population 5.4 mil. Independent state 1 January 1993 EU member since 2004 94 2,654 m a.s.l. mountains 73%
Welcome to Trnava Region Fertile plains, lowlands, with some hilly areas 3 areas Záhorie, Trnava and surroundings, Zitný ostrov 4 148 km 2 Population 553 000 Important rivers (Danube, Morava, Váh), ground water resources, springs of thermal and mineral water Protected areas (incl. 2 RS) Historical sites, traditional architecture
Welcome to Trnava and surroundings Administrative and economic centre 146 m a.s.l., 45 km NE of Slovak capital Bratislava 65 600 inhabitants Oldest Free Royal Town in Slovakia (1238), spiritual and cultural metropolis of the Hungarian kingdom Trnava University (1635) 11 churches ( Slovak Rome ), theatres (1831), museums, galeries, libraries City Monument Reserve (over 150 national cultural monuments) Cultural events (folk festivals, Dobrofest, theater festival...) Wine region; Traditional pottery (majolika - Modra) Protected areas
Water management in Slovakia Water Framework Directive WFD Water Act 364/2004 1 139 water bodies out of the total number of 1 761 (cca 65 %) have been classified as having high or good ecological status (or potential). The remaining as having worse than good status. The most important documents reflecting the response on freshwater pressures and impacts are river basin management plans, programmes of measures and monitoring programmes implemented in line with requirements of the WFD, Programme of landscape restoration and integrated river basin management, etc. (2009-2011). Other examples of the country s response are the adoption of the Code of Good Agricultural Practice, the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources, a programme to decrease pollution caused by certain dangerous substances, the plan for the public water supply and sewerage system development, etc. Fig. Water bodies by number classified into the individual ecological status classes
Wetland management Natura 2000 Nature and Landscape Protection Act 543/2002 Ramsar Convention (1990) Since 1990s - national Programme for wetlands conservation and management, regularly updated, with the Action Plan for a specified period - recently adopted by the Slovak Government for 2012-2014. - 4 strategic goals and 41 activities, including: Wetlands inventory, database; Strategies, legislative tools; Wetland restoration guidelines; Public awareness on wetlands; Development of CEPA programme; Integration into planning activities and decision processes in context of implementation of Integrated Water Management; Support for the Slovak Ramsar Committee; Identifying of priority wetlands for restoration, restoration activities; Prevention of dispersal, control and eradication of invasive alien species; Updating of RIS and maps; Maintaining ecological character of Ramsar sites and other sites of international importance; Management plans for the Ramsar Sites and other protected areas, especially Natura 2000 sites; Ramsar sites monitoring and research; Support for regional initiatives and transborder cooperation; Support for active participation of stakeholders in wetland conservation and wise use; Capacity building for implementation of the Ramsar Convention.
Wetland conservation and management Special project for support of the implementation of the Action Plan funded from the EU funds Operational Programme Environment (2009-2012) - The provision of the management of wetlands in Slovakia, raising the environmental awareness of wetlands and capacity building Implemented by the State Nature Conservancy of SR - Wetland inventory and database; - Model management plans for various wetlands of different types in various regions of Slovakia, especially N2000 sites (including 5 RS); - Guidelines for wetland managers; - Education and training; public awareness; - European Regional Meeting; Ramsar sites overlaping with Natura 2000 sites in Slovakia
Wetland management and wise use Other projects implemented by various organisations and partners - wetland management and restoration (Danube floodplains, Rudava River valley, Morava River floodplain, Turiec wetlands, Muránka River, Senné and Medzibodrozie, Gedrianske lúky meadows, Belianske lúky meadows, Záhorie, Abrod...) - integrated river basin management plan (Tisa river basin, Laborec-Uh river basin, Poiplie, Morava River) - species action/management plans/ favourbale conservation status (Maculinea butterflies, water birds, root vole...) - Invasive alien species inventory and eradication - Monitoring (Domica, Demänová caves)
Ramsar sites in Slovakia 14 sites over 40 thousands hectares designated 1990-2006 Subterranean karst wetlands Rivers Alluvial forests Grasslands Peatlands Lakes, ponds
Ramsar sites in Slovakia Domica Cave 622 ha Caves of Demänová Valley 1,448 ha Subsurface karst wetlands in the 25 km long transborder Domica-Baradla Cave System (shared by Slovakia and Hungary) Part of the longest cave system in Slovakia with a total measured lenght over 35 km; nine interconnected caves together with smaller associated caves
Senné Fishponds 425 ha Human-made fishpond area with periodically flooded grasslands and shrub swamps, one of the most important site for birds breeding and migration Ramsar sites in Slovakia Paríz Marshes 184 ha Vast marshes and reed swamps in a shallow basin, created by Pariz Brook, important bird habitat Morava Floodplains 5,380 ha Slovak section of the Morava River floodplain; part of the trilateral RS Floodplains of the Morava-Dyje- Danube Confluence (A- CZ-SK) Tisa River 735 ha 6 km long section of Tisa River together with its alluvium in transboundary position with Ukraine and Hungary (part of TRS Upper Tisza Valley).
Ramsar sites in Slovakia Latorica 4,405 ha Part of interembankment section of Latorica River and its floodplain area on the border with Ukrajine Poiplie 411 ha Remains of the Ipel watershed wetland ecosystem, interlocked with Hungarian wetland (TRS Ipolly valley) Orava River and its Tributaries 865 ha Submountainous river system with nearly continuous bankside cover of the Carpathian alder forest Rudava River Valley 560 ha Small meandering lowland brooks and adjacent wetlands flowing through aeolian sands of Záhorská lowland
Ramsar sites in Slovakia Danube Floodplains 14,488 ha One of the biggest inland deltas in central Europe made of river side channels and lakes stretching over 80 km along Slovak-Hungarian border Šúr 1,137 ha Remnant of disintegrated and transformed wetlands; the largest and best preserved complex of fen alder forest in SVK and central Europe Wetlands of Orava Basin 9,264 ha Complex of peatlands and swamps on the Slovak-Polish border, inlcuding raised bogs, fens, transition mires and artificial wetland Orava Reservoir Turiec Wetlands 750 ha Wetland ecosystems with varied character of meandering and little disturbed Turiec river and some tributaries, grasslands and fens
Slovakia and the Ramsar Convention Achievements National wetland policy and PAs networks Slovak Ramsar Committee - 20 years Development of transborder and international cooperation (bilateral, trilateral, Carpathian) Support of education, training, awareness Increasing number of projects Challenges Sustainable funding for activities Human capacity Intersectoral cooperation and understanding Reinforcement of the role of wetlands in flood prevention Management effectiveness
Ramsar regional initiative in the Carpathians Carpathians largest and longest European mountain region extensive biodiversity relatively underdeveloped under pressure 7 countries 4 big river catchments important source of water
Ramsar regional initiative in the Carpathians Biogeographical similarity Shared rivers, catchments, wetlands, species Social and cultural links Ramsar sites rather concentrated in lowland areas Transborder wetlands identified in Slovak Carpathians Transborder consultations, planning, cooperation and projects necessary
Carpathian Wetland Initiative (2004) Regional Initiative of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) Mission The CWI will facilitate collaboration between the Carpathian and Ramsar Convention and its Parties in their efforts in conservation and wise use of wetlands in the Carpathian region and beyond, through local, national, regional and international activities.
Memorandum of Cooperation (2006) 8 joint activities 1. Information base on wetland ecosystems 2. Exchange of wetland-related information 3. Network of Ramsar sites 4. Integration of wetlands into river basin management 5. Wetland restoration projects 6. Transboundary wetland ecosystems 7. Species and habitat monitoring 8. Capacity building and public awareness
5/17/11 Ramsar sites in the Carpathian arch
CWI Structure Partnership of Governments of countries in the Carpathian region and other interested governments (7 Carpathian countries) Secretariats of the Ramsar Convention (Gland, Switzerland) and the Carpathian Convention (ISCC UNEP Vienna, Austria) Intergovernmental organisations and other entities with an interest in the Carpathian wetlands
Partners DAPHNE Institute of Applied Ecology Carpathian EcoRegion Initiative (CERI) IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe Wetlands International Black Sea Office WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme Carpathian Network of Protected Areas ICPDR Danube River Network of Protected Areas
CWI Board - National Focal Points Coordination: The State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic RNDr.Ján Kadlečík Country Name Organization CZECH REPUBLIC HUNGARY Libuše Vlasáková Helena Kostínková András Schmidt Ministry of Environment, Department of International Conservation of Biodiversity, Department of Multilateral Relations Ministry of Rural Development Head of Natura 2000 Unit POLAND Barbara Debiec General Directorate for Environmental Protection, Department of Nature Conservation ROMANIA Roxana Ionescu Ovidiu Pirv Marian Jiplea Ministry of Environment and Forests, Biodiversity Directorate Mures Floodplain Natural Park Administration Iron Gates Natural Park Administration SERBIA SLOVAKIA UKRAINE Aleksandra Doslic Jelena Ducic Alexandar Srbulovic Sasa Nestorovic Marija Milenkovic-Srbulovic Ján Kadlečík Ivan Koubek Jana Janecová Igor Ivanenko Grygoriy Parchuk Bohdan Prots Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning National Park Djerdap State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic Division of International Cooperation and EU Ministry of the Environment Department of International Conventions State Agency for Protected Areas of the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Ukraine State Museum of Natural History, National Academy of Sciences
CWI Work Plan 1. Platform on basic data on wetlands Wetland data collection and harmonisation Harmonisation of wetland ecosystems and species monitoring 2. Platform for expert cooperation Establishment of a WGs of active practitioners, specialists and NGO representatives interested in wetlands Involvement of PA administrations in CWI work Cooperation with partners Project proposals 3. Platform for integrated river basin management Preparation of relevant documents on IRBM of the CCIC Bilateral consultations in shared wetlands re their management Cooperation with ICPDR on river basin projects
CWI Work Plan 4. Platform for Carpathian wetland assessment and monitoring 5. Platform for wetland restoration activities Development of draft wetland restoration policy Consultations on wetland restoration guidelines Inventory of invasive alien species 6. Platform for capacity building and public awareness Development of the training programme on wetland management and CEPA Database of educational and training institutions and experts Maintenance of CWI website (www.cwi.sk) Development of the CWI brochure and leaflet Establishment of the Carpathian Wetland Centre
Thank you for your attention www.cwi.sk