contribution of the european landscape convention to landscape management and planning in the slovak...

Contribution of the European Landscape Convention to Landscape Management

and Planning in the Slovak Republic

Mária Kozová1,2, Eva Pauditšová2, Pavlína Mišíková3

1Institute of Transdisciplinary Environmental Studies, Catholic University in Ružomberok, Slovakia2 Department of Landscape Ecology, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia

3ILbA, Institute for Life-based Architecture, Germany

17th Int. Symp. on Problems of Landscape Ecological Research Nitra, Slovak Republic, May 27-29, 2015

ELC accession process in Slovakia and an overview of the current situation in implementation of the ELC requirements into national legislation, strategic documents and planning processes at the national, regional and local levels.

The main focus is to paid attention to innovative ideas and original contribution that the ELC has brought into the field of landscape management and planning.

To reach the above mentioned objectives we have selected the main items related to the ELC topics and compared their status before the ratification of the ELC in the Slovak Republic with the current situation.

Furthermore, selected results of a questionnaire, dealing with the effectiveness of landscape protection, management and planning in Slovakia, have been used. Respondents’ feedback was received from three groups: a) NGO’s, b) representatives of cities and c) university students.

Contribution of the European Landscape Convention to Landscape Management and Planning in the Slovak Republic

Date of signing: 30 May 2005 Date of ratification: 9 August 2005 ELC came in Slovakia into force on 1 December 2005

Status before signing:.

In 2006, two documents were elaborated for executing the European Landscape Convention:

Proposal for ensuring conditions for implementation of European Landscape Convention in SR (Ministry of Environment of SR, March 2006) The National program of the European Landscape Convention implementation in SR (Ministry of Environment of SR, August 2006).

Both documents were submitted during operative negotiations of the minister of the environment. It was taken into account, that it will be also elaborated action program and it should be submitted for government session in 2007.

The accession process of the European Landscape Convention (ELC) in the Slovak Republic and status before signing

The National Program of the ELC Implementation in the Slovak Republic (Ministry of Environment, 08/2006)

Item 1: Institutional support The target is to prepare the necessary legislative regulating the landscape planning.

Item 2: Campaigns / Public relations The target is to ensure information campaigns, to involve the general public, cooperation with media and education of specialists.

Item 3: Cooperation and exchange of experience The target is to ensure cooperation at the national and international levels. A database of contacts should be prepared, to create a network of specialists and institutions, preferably between V-4 states (of Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary).

Item 4: Professional support The target is to identify the types of landscape, typical landscape character, significant landscape elements, landscape quality objective... (elaboration of typology of selected territories, methodology of identification of landscape character, typology of urban sites, identification of historical landmark structures, definition of endangered types of landscapes and the target quality in selected segments.

Description to which extend the ELC has contributed newly and originally to landscape management and planning in the Slovak Republic

Main items Status before the ratification of the ELC in the Slovak Republic

Initiative based on the ELC and its purpose

Success / failure of the initiative

Current status (2015) and outlook for the upcoming

years

National program of the

ELC implementation

During 2003 – 2004 was finished preparation phase for accession of the Slovak Republic to the European Landscape Convention.

In August 2006 „The National Program of ELC Implementation in the Slovak Republic “was elaborated .

The program was approved by the Ministry of the Environment.

The program wasn't approved at government level. It has not been regularly evaluated and has not been updated since 2006.

Legal framework for

landscape planning

The position of landscape plan was defined in the amendment of the Act. no 50/1976 Coll. on spatial planning and building code in 2000.

The MoE coordinated the preparation of the draft version of Act on Landscape Planning, as a cross-sectoral oriented law (2003-2007).

Due to difficulties to reach agreement with other ministeries the initiative failed. In 2013 the MoE has began to prepare a draft Act on landscape.

Landscape planning in Slovakia is not governed by law. Landscape protection, planning and management should be included in the new Act - Building Code and the new Act on nature and landscape protection.

Landscape policy

In the Slovak Republic - no documents on national level in which integrated landscape policy would be formulated.

National programme of the implementation of the ELC requires the preparation of Landscape Policy. – There is still a discussion about it.

Estimated date for the development of the Landscape Policy is September 2015.

After the establishment of Landscape Policy is possible to submit a draft „Act on the landscape" and proposals for modification of legislation, and regulations.

Typology of Slovakian

Landscape

In 2002 the Landscape Atlas of the Slovak Republic was published, which is significant source of information at the national (2002).

Methodology named „Typology of Slovakian landscape" (2010) has been developed with the participation of foreign opponents.

So far the realization of the project „Typology of Slovakian landscape“ failed.

Only the first preparatory steps for the project Typology of Slovakian Landscape were implemented in order to gain insight into the underlying materials.

Evaluating landscape

appearance

Before accession and ratification of the ELC insufficient attention was given to landscape appearance.

Ministry of the Environment has initiated the development of new methodologies for landscape appearance.

Methodologies have been developed, have undergone professional reviewing and were published in the Journal of the MoE.

There is a clear requirement to assess impacts of proposed plans and projects on landscape appearance. The Act on nature and landscape protection lacks this concept.

Sustainable management of

the landscape

Appointment of competencies dealing with landscape issues was (and still is) divided into different sectors.

MoE initiated the establishment of intersectoral cooperation and managed to create a cross-sectoral committee.

Insufficient dialogue related to the economic interests of owners and users of the land.

There is a discrepancy between plans and their actual implementation.

Examples of current strategic documents, which are linked to the landscape

Examples of current strategic documents in SK, which are linked to the landscape

Strategic document Topic and tasks related to landscape / ELC

Protection of Nature and Landscape Policy (2006)

This policy presents international conventions and agreements related to nature and landscape, incl. ELC. It is required to elaborate uniformed methodology of regionalization for characteristic landscape character in the context of ethnographic regional units.

Policy for Territorial Development (2011)

Separate chapter is devoted to ELC and it is classified as a conceptual and strategic national document.

Action Plan for Protection of Biodiversity (2014)

Examples of tasks: landscape connectivity for species and biotopes migration in the system of protected areas, mapping of historical landscape structures. There are also presented relations to ELC.

Strategic document requires to fulfill certain requirements of the European Landscape Convention

Examples of current strategic documents in SK, which are linked to the landscape

Strategic document Topic and tasks related to landscape / ELC

National Forest program (2007)

Examples of tasks: nature and landscape protection, landscape ecological stability, ecological value of landscape, forest functions in landscape..

Rural Develop. Program 2014-2020 (2014)

The program has significantly affected the landscape proposed a number of positive measures to improve the ecological stability of the landscape.

Program Quality of Environment 2014-2020 (2014)

Examples of tasks: water retention in landscape, green infrastructure in landscape, using ecosystem functions of landscape, changes in the landscape due to climate change, integrity improvement of landscape systems of ecological stability in urban areas...

Strategy of Adaptation to Climate Change (2014)

Examples of tasks: ecosystems in landscape, forest functions in landscape, implications of climate changes on landscape, landscape dry out, support of ecosystem stability, water retention in landscape, increasing of landscape connectivity, revitalization and rehabilitation of disturbed landscape.

New Priorities of Water Management Policy (2015)

Examples: ecosystems and landscape recovery, retention capability of landscape, collecting and retention of rainfall water in urban areas, control water draining in the landscape, re-evaluation of landscape management, ensure revitalization of landscape structure...

Selected results of the questionnaire survey dealing with the implementation of the ELC in the Slovak Republic

• Selected results of questionnaire survey dealing with the effectiveness of Slovakian landscape protection, coordination and planning.

• The questionnaire was launched at an occasion of the 10th anniversary of the ELC (October, 2010).

Respondent’s feedbacks were received from three groups: a) NGOs; b) representatives of cities and towns; c) university students.

Evaluation scale (from 1 to 4):

- value 1 represents – the best evaluation

- value 4 represents - the worst evaluation

Selected results of the questionnaire survey dealing with the implementation of the ELC in the Slovak

Republic (towns and NGOs)

Selected questions from questionnaire:

1. Is landscape in Slovakia perceived as a factor affecting the quality of life, and as a part of the cultural

and natural heritage?

2. Is landscape protection in Slovakia sufficiently institutionally secured?

3. How could you evaluate possibilities of municipality at local level to influence the way of

landscape management?

4. Is municipality devoting sufficient attention to landscape management at regional level?

5. Is your municipality devoting sufficient attention to landscape management?

6. How could you evaluate instruments and measures that are (in) directly related to landscape?

7. What do you think, how could the public influence the treatment of landscape in Slovakia

Ouest. 1 Ouest. 2 Ouest. 3 Ouest. 4 Ouest. 5 Ouest. 6 Ouest. 71

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

TownsSlovak NGOs

Selected results of the questionnaire survey dealing with the implementation of the ELC in the Slovak Republic

(students from Slovak universities)

Selected questions from questionnaire:

1. Is landscape in Slovakia perceived as a factor affecting the quality of life, and as a part of the cultural and natural heritage?

2. Is landscape protection in Slovakia sufficiently institutionally and organizationally secured?

3. How could you evaluate possibilities of municipality at local level to influence the way of landscape management?

4. Is municipality devoting sufficient attention to landscape management at regional level?

5. Is your municipality devoting sufficient attention to landscape management?

6. How could you evaluate instruments and measures that are (in) directly related to landscape?

7. What do you think, how could the public influence the treatment of landscape in Slovakia?

8. How do you assess the level of education and awareness in relation to the landscape and to the

fulfilment of the ELC?

Ouest. 1 Ouest. 2 Ouest. 3 Ouest. 4 Ouest. 5 Ouest. 6 Ouest. 7 Ouest. 81

2

3

4

5

Faculty of Natural Sciences Comenius University

Slovak University of Technology Bratislava

University of Prešov in Prešov

Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra

CONCLUSION (1): How the Slovak Republic managed improving its approach to landscape 10 years the after signing and ratifying the ELC?

Positive progress in the implementation of the ELC

Comments (+/-) and recommendation to the successful implementation of the tasks connected to the ELC

Increased interest in the landscape, and not only in the academic sphere, but also in the environmentally oriented NGOs, local and regional governments and the general public - especially in those parts of Slovakia, where there has been a significant distortion of landscape in the past. Publishing leaflets, posters and brochures in order to contribute to the public awareness about the landscape.

BUT... Lack of ideas in the ELC promotion in the mass media, lack of effective links between the municipalities, cities and regions, lack of landowner associations (urbariáty) that may assist the preparation of land-use plans, land consolidation and land management methods, which could significantly influence the sustainability of the landscape.

Developing the methodology for the „Typology of the landscapes in Slovakia“.

BUT... So far only a methodology has been developed, but failed to develop a project „Typology of the landscape in Slovakia“.

Awarding the best landscape projects with the national recognition of "the Slovak Landscape Award".

Prize is awarded every two years, first time, in 2010 it was given to Nadácia Ekopolis.

Developing the ELC principles in the regional land-use plans (for example Trnava regional land-use plan).

However, it can not be based only on the initiative of regions and settlements, we are expecting that it will be a requirement in the new theBuilding Act.

CONCLUSION (2): How the Slovak Republic managed improving its approach to landscape 10 years after signing and ratifying the ELC?

Positive progress in the implementation of the ELC

Comments (+/-) and recommendation to the successful implementation of the tasks connected to the ELC

According the Act on SEA and EIA both these processes seem to offer clear opportunities to create more positive and proactive opportunities for landscape policy, protection, management and planning.

BUT... ‘Landscape’ receives slightly more attention in the EIA, less in SEA, even though SEA seeming to provide a more suitable instrument for dealing with the concept of landscape as defined by the ELC.

Pushing the effort on the national level towards the document the „Landscape Strategy for Slovakia" (possibly with developing the independent Landscape Act).

Drafting the document the „Landscape Strategy for Slovakia„ is especially important in relation to improving the preparation of development documents at the national level.

Seeking practical synergy ELC with the Carpathian Convention as the Slovak proposal to the international community (through the 1st joint meeting of two Working Groups - WG Biodiversity and WG Spatial Development (22 - 24 October 2014 in Kluszkowce, Poland).

Such synergy can positively influence and reinforce the importance of the implementation of the ELC.

Starting to work with a very new term - Landscape Quality Objective (e.g. Žilina self-governing region,management plans in localities of world cultural and natural heritage). WE HAVE A NEW METHODOLOGY!

The concept of Landscape Quality Objective is still missing in legislation and in practice. BUT, isolated projects and initiatives implement this concept and verify it on model examples.

The ELC has inspired the Slovak Republic in many areas. The main idea the ELC has brought to this country is – to not debate whether the landscape should be a part of the environmental policy or not, but to question HOW TO INCORPORATE THE LANDSCAPE into those policies effectively?

CONCLUSION (3): FURTHER WORKS IN IMPLEMENTATION ELCEXPECTED NEXT STEPS IN SLOVAKIA

Landscape Strategy for Slovakia (2015)

Act on Landscape (2016?)

Landscape Quality Objective

New innovative tools for municipalities

Participatory/Community Planning

TOP-DOWN approach

BOTTOM-UP approach

Thank you for your attention!

Acknowledgement: This contribution is the result of the project implementation: SPECTRA+ No. 20240120002 “Centre of Excellence for the Development of Settlement Infrastructure of Knowledge Economy” supported by the ERDF and VEGA 2/0038/14 Adaptation strategies to natural and social

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contribution of the european landscape convention to landscape management and planning in the slovak...

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