Natural assets to protect
Slovakia, like Poland, has been particularly precocious in its concern to protect nature, which is explained in particular by the proximity of the Slovaks to their mountains. A geological strangeness, the Tatra Mountains rise in a surreal vision of a long plain that surrounds the city of Poprad at dizzying heights (2,500 m above sea level and only 35 km long and 17 km wide). The country has nine national parks, thirteen protected landscapes and one thousand protected areas, all covering about 23% of its territory. The Státna Ochrana Prírody is a non-profit governmental organization responsible for national parks and protected landscapes in Slovakia. It implements policies to protect these areas in order to safeguard ecosystems and biodiversity. The majority of Slovakia's national parks are mountainous areas, and the most recent, the Great Fatra National Park (Veľká Fatra), was established in 2002. The Low Tatra National Park (Nízke Tatry) is the largest in the country and was established in 1978. Pieniny is the smallest park, but it is also rich in beautiful natural landscapes. Some areas within these parks have been declared biosphere reserves by UNESCO: Poloniny, the Slovak Karst
(Slovensky Kras) and Tatry. Hikers, mountaineers, skiers, you will find everything here to make you happy. One of the most impressive hikes is the Hedlo Hornádu canyon in the Slovak Paradise, where you walk on iron ladders. The Jasna resort in the Low Tatras is equipped for skiers in winter and hikers and cyclists in summer. All these protected natural areas allow a rich biodiversity. Bears are the flagship animal of Slovakia. While they were on the verge of extinction in the middle of the 20th century, strict protection measures (ban on hunting, regulation of forestry operations and penetration of areas frequented by bears) have enabled their population to increase dramatically. It is estimated that there were 1,200 in 2016. In some localities, they are moving out of their natural habitat to seek food in town, which is not always safe. The high-altitude coniferous forests are also populated by a large population of wolves, lynx, a rarity in Europe, wild cats, chamois, marmots, woodpeckers, squirrels, bullfinches, crossbills, greater capercaillie, deer, hares, black storks and black partridges. Slovakia is a good destination for bird watching. You can see woodpeckers, night birds such as the Ural owl, and screech and pomarine eagles. The Raptor Protection of Slovakia association manages a protected area a few kilometers from Bratislava, The Protected Bird Area (CHVÚ) Sysľovské Polia. Rare species can be found there, including the largest flying bird in Europe, the great bustard.Air quality, waste: can do better
Slovakia ranks among the worst performers in Europe in terms of air quality. In 2018, citizens, the environmental associations EPTA, ClientEarth, VIA IURIS and the bicycle support association Cyclokoalicia took legal action against the city of Bratislava because air quality measurements regularly exceeded national and European standards. It was ordered by the regional court to improve. Low-emission zones may soon be established in parts of the city. In any case, soft mobility is developing: shared bicycles have been deployed in the capital. On the waste management side, too, there is room for improvement. In 2018, the European Court of Justice condemned Slovakia for delays in implementing EU law on waste landfill.
Zuzana Čaputov, who was elected president in March 2019, has also made a name for herself as a lawyer, working alongside the VIA IURIS association, against the creation of a huge landfill in Pezinok, on the outskirts of Bratislava. A victorious fight that led to the cancellation of the landfill's construction permit in 2013.
