Climate change, environmental pollution and green initiatives in Czechia.pdf

The presentation describes the effects of climate change on Czechia together with some of the most serious environmental pollution issues in Czechia and shows some of the green initiatives and green startups from Czechia.

1. Climate change, environmental
pollution and green initiatives in
Czechia

2. Climate change in czechia
We can already feel the effects of climate change in Czechia. The most evident effect are
more frequent weather extremes such as extreme rainfall which results in heavy floodings.
Such heavy floodings were occurring once in 100 years in the past but are occurring once
in 20 years nowadays. These floodings are causing many negative side effects such as
economic damage, soil erosion and destruction of local fauna and flora habitats. You can
see my photos taken in Bohumín below from 2024 floods. These floods also pollute
environment by trash which water takes on its way and it can spread various dangerous
infection diseases.

3. Another serious effect is drought. Czechia has experienced the most intense drought in the
last 2000 years around the year 2021 caused mainly by high air temperatures and resulting
rapid water evaporation. Such droughts are causing agricultural sector to lose their
harvest, resulting in further damages to the economy. The droughts are very damaging to
our traditional pine tree forests, it supports rapid reproduction of bark beetles which feed
on the spruce, which is the basic pine tree in Czech forests. These droughts are also
changing the lives of locals, it is harder to sail on the rivers to transport goods or people
and it is harder to enjoy water sports which are traditional for Czechia.
Climate change in czechia

4. Other effects of climate change which we expect to experience in Czechia in the future are:
more frequent and stronger heatwaves
stronger winds and tornados
stronger and longer term droughts
stronger and more frequent floods
more frequent torrential rainfall
potential forest fires
threat to drinking water supply
changes in biodiversity
land erosion
threat to agricultural sector and food self-sufficiency
Climate change in czechia

5. Czechia is heavily industrialized country famous for its iron and steel industry, chemical
and materials industry, car and transportation industry and arms industry. These industries
were causing significant air pollution in the past causing the premature deaths of citizens
living in the industrialized regions. This has changed for the better after Czechia joined the
EU in 2004, which allowed for stricter regulation and funding to mitigate negative impacts
of these industries on the environment resulting in much improved air and water quality in
the industrialized areas. However many challenges remain such as remediation of unactive
coal mining areas and lagoons. Some of the most polluted areas of the EU can also be found
in Czechia, such as Ostrava, Havířov and Karviná cities.
Environmental pollution in CZ

6. Environmental pollution in CZ
One the the most serious environmental pollutions in Czechia are the oil lagoons in
Ostrava. These lagoons were created by local petrochemical company OSTRAMO which
was dumping its post refining waste into open pits in the city. The damage was done mostly
during the communist regime, which did not care much about environment and the health
of the population. This created lagoons of highly toxic sludge, damaging the environment
and creating toxic air. The cleanup of the lagoons started in 2003 and ended in 2020
costing over 60 millions EUR. However the polluted soil and ground water remains resulting
in ongoing efforts to eliminate the pollution.

7. Environmental pollution in CZ
Another environmental burden which we have in Czechia is former MAPE Mydlovary
chemical plant, built and active during the communist regime in former Czechoslovakia.
Czechia is one of the countries with the biggest uranium reserves in the world. This uranium
was extensively mined during the past regime. The plant processed over 16,7 million tons of
uranium during its lifetime. The waste from the plant was dumped directly in the open pit
lagoons which contaminated over 300 hectares of surrounding land by toxic heavy metals
and radioactive elements. The cleanup efforts are still ongoing to this day costing the
government tens millions euros.

8. Green initiatives in Czechia
Rekola Bike-Sharing Program
Rekola is a popular bike-sharing service in Czechia that promotes sustainable urban
mobility. It encourages young people to use bicycles as an alternative to cars, reducing
emissions and traffic congestion. Rekola is a Czech project for sharing bicycles, which was
created in 2013 thanks to the initiative of programmer Vít Ježek. In 2024, it operates as
REKOLA Bikesharing s.r.o. in Prague, Brno, České Budějovice, Olomouc, Krnov, Žďár nad
Sázavou, Bratislava (Slovakia) and Tallinn (Estonia). It operates around 2,000 bikes and
employs over 100 people.

9. Located in Prague, PRALES offers young people opportunities to engage with nature
through educational programs, environmental workshops, and urban gardening projects.
outh can volunteer in community gardens, take part in sustainability workshops, or join
ecological summer camps where they learn about urban greening, sustainable
development, and biodiversity conservation in cities.
Green initiatives in Czechia
Prague Youth Environmental Center (PRALES)

10. This organization runs numerous nature conservation projects throughout Czechia,
focusing on biodiversity protection, wildlife conservation, and habitat restoration. They
offer youth-specific programs and volunteer opportunities, such as bird monitoring,
meadow restoration, and habitat conservation projects. Young people can also participate
in outdoor education programs that teach about ecosystems, wildlife protection, and
ecological sustainability.
Green initiatives in Czechia
Český svaz ochránců přírody (Czech Union for Nature
Conservation)

11. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION !