Assessment of the State of the Environment
Natural Habitats
According to the country reports, most central and east European (CEE) countries have the benefit of large tracts of relatively unspoiled forests and other natural habitats. In Romania, for example, 47 percent of its territory is covered by natural or semi-natural ecosystems, while in Poland, its north-eastern regions together form the so-called "Green Lung" natural habitats and primeval forests, amount to 14.7 percent of the country. In Slovenia, virgin forests have been preserved for centuries, while Romania is home to the largest area in Europe covered by natural forests. Wetlands areas are characteristic of Romania, Bulgaria, and the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania). In Estonia, wetland forests, peatlands and coastal lagoons are typical. The country also maintains a very high share of the European hemiboreal biodiversity and landscape. Countries like the Czech Republic and Bulgaria are covered by more than 30 percent of forested landMany of these areas are preserved as National Parks or Protected Landscape Areas. In Hungary, 8.64 percent of the country is protected territory, 48 percent of which is covered by woodland. In Slovakia, almost 20 percent carries the same status, while in the Czech Republic 15.7 percent is protected territory. These natural areas, are home to many endangered species. In Slovenia, the brown bear, wolf, and lynx, in Latvia a variety of biotopes, and in Estonia, a variety of birds, fish and reptiles. In Bulgaria, an increasing number of ligneous species are to be found. In Slovakia, there are some 384 different endangered animals and 252 plants, and in Poland, some 568 endangered animals.
Many countries, now realising the importance of habitat and biodiversity protection, have begun to increase the number of protected areas, driven by international treaties such as the RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands of International Importance and CITES (on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna). In Romania, the Danube Delta, the largest European wetland was established in 1990, and joins the country’s other 450 protected areas. In Hungary, four national parks have been established within the last four years, while the Czech Republic and Slovakia continue to maintain some 2000 protected areas. The status of other areas are improving through decreasing pollution, for example, the state of wetlands and waterfowl habitats in Bulgaria through the restoration of the Srebarna Lake and a decrease in Danube River pollution.
Still, many other areas are continuously under threat, and a growing
number of endangered species are being detected in Hungary, for example.
External factors like air pollution arising from mining (Czech Republic,
Poland, Bulgaria), economic change and development, and human activities
such as herb-picking and poaching are threatening biodiversity, the latter
especially in Bulgaria for example.
Air, Water and Soil Quality
Nearly all CEE countries (including Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia) have experienced reductions in the emissions of major pollutants, including sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, particulates, ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases. However, some countries tend to suffer more than others from incoming transboundary air pollution. Slovakia for example, is situated in an area of Europe receiving the greatest atmospheric pollution and acid rainfall according to the measurements of the Cooperative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of Transboundary Atmospheric Pollution in Europe. Others areas include Romania, and Lithuania, which is situated on the pathway of prevailing south-westerly winds.Rising NOx concentrations, ozone and noise are causing increasing problems owing to traffic pollution, and tend to be pronounced in elevated areas around major urban centres and during summer periods (Slovenia). An increasing number of air pollution hotspots are commonly identified and registered in several countries, including Bulgaria (nine), northern Estonia, Romania (25) and as part of the "Black Triangle" region at the border of the Czech Republic and Poland. Many "hotspot" areas incorporate towns and cities, due to the proximity of polluting industries and households burning fossil fuels, and of course traffic.
Many groundwaters remain polluted by non-point sources including uncontrolled runoff, untreated sewage, contaminated soils, bacteriological pollution, and nitrate excesses (Hungary, Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovenia). In many cases they are even found to be worsening. Other groundwater sources tend to be affected by high ground concentrations of iron, manganese, and active carbon dioxide (Slovakia, and Lithuania).
Reductions in surface water pollution have been detected across CEE to various degrees, including Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Romania. In spite of improvements, countries like the Czech Republic still classify one-third of its water courses as being "highly" or "extremely highly" polluted. Eutrophication of rivers, lakes, reservoirs are continuing problems in many other countries, as are emissions of untreated sewage, excessive nutrient levels and biogenous substances (in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovakia). Transboundary pollution is problematic in several countries, including Hungary, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria.
With regard to coastal waters, those of Latvia tend to be moderately polluted and in some localities, highly polluted, especially those within the vicinity of estuaries. Contaminated Lithuanian waters feed into the Curonian lagoon which is also considerably polluted. Slovenian coastal waters are considered good, though suffer periodically from bacteriological concentrations.
A decrease in soil pollutant levels (in terms of mineral fertilisers
and pesticides) has been detected in Bulgaria and Lithuania. Agricultural
pollution, however, is giving rise to problems in Poland, and Romania and
is contributing to the large number of contaminated sites, which have resulted
in many countries from former military installations and sites with heavy
industry. These are commonplace in nearly all CEE countries, and in particular,
Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, and Lithuania, where in the latter, some 275
military bases were found to cover 1 percent of the country. The transport,
energy, and industry sectors are uniformly found to be further major contributors
across CEE countries. In countries like Latvia and Poland, compaction,
natural acidification, and erosion (by wind and water) also remain serious
problems in safeguarding soil quality.
Priority Areas
A general review of the state of the environment above indicates the priority areas to be improving air quality through projects which target the transport and energy sector (especially in Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Slovenia), and improving groundwater and surface water sources through improved wastewater treatment (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovenia) and waste management. Remediation of environmental damage is also a critical issue (in Poland) while sustainable development projects are high on political agendas in Latvia, and Poland. Environmental education is outstanding also on the Lithuanian agenda and is called for within the Slovenian and Estonian country report.A further clarification of political priorities is given in the Policy Section. These frequently reflect the most critical priority areas.
The Czech country survey revealed a number of geographical hotspots,
one of them a transboundary problem, namely the Black Triangle in northern
Bohemia where brown coal mining takes place in open pits, and a concentration
of heavy industry has resulted in a destroyed landscape, air quality problems,
and damaged forests. Northern Moravia, also in the Czech Republic is characterised
by a zone of black coal mining, a concentration of heavy industry, a degraded
landscape, and air quality problems.
Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe
