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The Supreme Audit Office of The Supreme Audit Office of the Czech Republicthe Czech RepublicDepartment of Environment and AgricultureDepartment of Environment and Agriculture
Biological Diversity as an Audit Subject for the Supreme Audit OfficePrague 14. 10. 2004
Why continue to audit biodiversity ?Why continue to audit biodiversity ?What to focus on ?What to focus on ?The answer: Alarming biodiversity numbers
in the Czech Republic and in OECD Europe
OECD Czech Republic
Threatened species mammals 3 – 71% 33%
birds 8 – 56% 56%
amphibians 20 - 100% 95%
Source: OECD data 2004
Other Indicators Related to Other Indicators Related to Biodiversity in the Czech RepublicBiodiversity in the Czech Republic
Water water withdrawal 12% of gross annual availability percentage of population connected to public WWTP 70%
Protected areas total area 16% (2% national parks, 13% landscape protected
areas, 1% small protected areas)
Build up area more than 10% the whole area
Agriculture nitrogenous fertilisers use 9,2 t/sq km of agricultural land pesticides use 0,11 t/sq km Source: OECD data 2004
increase of organic farming during last 10 years from 0,4%
to 5.5% of agricultural land
% GDP had increased to 2,4% in 1997 but have been decreasing
since then. Now it is below 2%Source: Czech Statistical Office data 2004
International commitments CR has ratified majority of multilateral agreements
Ways of dealing with indicated Ways of dealing with indicated problemsproblems
CR has updated the State environmental policy connected with:
– the 6th Action Programme for the Environment of the EU
– the OECD environmental strategy for the first decade of the 21. century
– the EU Strategy for Sustainable Development
Accession to the EU forced CR to take necessary
measures required by Acquis Communautaire in all sectors
Preserving BiodiversityPreserving Biodiversity
The targets of the updated State policy in the area of biodiversity are divided into two groups:
Land ecosystems Aquatic ecosystems
LandLand ecosystemecosystemss
Negative impacts: Intensive agricultural and forestry
productionAbandoning of traditional agricultural areasUnsuitable urbanisation Invasive species of flora and faunaUnsuitable structure of selected wood
species
ObjectivesObjectives
Declaration of locations of the NATURA 2000 Implementation of rescue programs Improvement of the territorial system of
ecological stability Creation of bio-corridors
Aquatic ecosystems and Aquatic ecosystems and their their restorationrestoration
Negative impacts: Regulation of river courses Construction of new waterways and dams Pollution caused by intensive agriculture
production Intensive fish breeding
ObjectivesObjectives
Implement protection and sustainable use of water sources and wetlands in the context of economic pressures and global changes
Adopt the principle of sustainable management in the area of water policy with incorporation into sectoral policies
Adopt a methodology for selection of aquatic biotopes suitable for renewal
Initial Audit Experience Concerning Initial Audit Experience Concerning BiodiversityBiodiversity
The audit
State budget funds earmarked for environmental protection
was included in annual plan 2001
basic areas: State program of Care for the Landscape NATURA 2000 system
(both of regularity and performance audit)
State Program of Care for the LandscapeState Program of Care for the Landscape
Project of conservation and improvement of natural values in protected territories and with maintenance of ecological balance
Total sum 14 mil. Euro /conversion from CZK/ for 2 years Audit´s findings – suitable preconditions were not created
for effective and economic use of budgetary means Positive outcome – significant increase in the activities of
the intersectoral commission lead to a complex approach to dealing with the individual locations
Audit of the NATURA 2000 systemAudit of the NATURA 2000 system
Specification of target species and types of natural habitats and provisions for their mutual interconnection
Preparation of a national list of territories of special
protection as a part of system of protected territories of the EU - 15% of the area of the Czech Republic
Audit´s findings – part of allocated financial means were utilized for other projects different from NATURA system
Positive outcome – adjustment of budgetary expenditures in the following years
The Current approach to The Current approach to Biodiversity AuditsBiodiversity Audits
The projects of aquatic ecosystems and renewal of aquatic biotopes were dominated, among audit topics, on the base of evaluating information
Two audits were included in the annual plans 2003 and 2004 :
The River System Restoration Program
Ecological Projects and Measures in the River Basin of the Dyje (Thaya) River
The River System Restoration ProgramThe River System Restoration Program
Program is concerned with renewal of the natural environment disturbed by human activity (started in 1992)
Main goal is to improve the water regime in the landscape and systematically increase biological diversity
The audit was intended to : assess economy and effectiveness of use of the
financial means find out whether a complex evaluation of the individual
stages of the Program was achieved Final report was completed in October 2004
AuditAudit findings findings
Programme formation and its execution (6 sub-programmes) Programme priorities and their financing Programme management Assessment of specific sub-programmes Assessment of the recipients
Necessary measuresNecessary measures
Ministry of Environment State clear objectives corresponding with the individual stages of the Programme Finance sub-programmes according to the Programme priorities Assess the ecological effect of individual projects
Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection of the CR Improve the use of river-restoration studies Continue to monitor specific projects after their completion
Recipients Supply complete cost reports throughout the whole process Transparent tender selection
Ecological Projects and Measures in the Ecological Projects and Measures in the Dyje River BasinDyje River Basin
Projects are focused mainly on improvement of water quality and biodiversity, e.g. waste water treatment plants, sewage systems, bio-corridors and nature conservation
The basic audit target consisted of evaluation of the usefulness and economy of the use of financial means in the Dyje watershed
The audit, which was carried out as a concurrent audit with SAI Austria, included these topics: Water protection Nature conservation Bilateral cooperation between the Czech Republic and
Austria
Scope of AuditScope of Audit
Water protection – audit of monitoring of water quality, evaluation of the usefulness and economy of measures, compliance with relevant EU Directives
Nature conservation - audit of 3 E of means spent for nature conservation, fulfilment of international agreements related to biodiversity, management of the National park
Bilateral cooperation – audit of usefulness of the work of the Commission for water management on boundary water courses
Final national report was completed in September 2004, joint Czech-Austrian report is expected in June 2005
A typical view on Dyje meander
Audit findingsAudit findings
State Landscape Programmes – formation, execution, assessment
State Environmental Fund – 682 projects financed Natura 2000 – mapping, completion of the national list Cooperation between ministries (Environment and Agriculture) – water dam Nove mlyny Austrian co-financing – waste water treatment plants Bilateral cooperation – Czech-Austrian Commission for Border Waters – Czech-Austrian Commission for the National Park Podyjí-Thayathal
Necessary measuresNecessary measures
Ministry of Environment Evaluate ecological effects Finish mapping and declare the National list of NATURA 2000 to fulfill the National Development Plan 2004-2006 Harmonize internal regulations of both ministries in the area of water management Increase its responsibility for all projects financed in the framework of cross- border regional cooperation
State Environmental Fund Check sufficiently contracts between recipients and their suppliers Specify precisely ecological objectives in contracts with recipients
Thank you for your attentionThank you for your attention
For the purpose of
3rd meeting of the EUROSAI WGEA
Miroslav Kruchina Jana KoznarovaHead of Department of Environment Auditor from Department of and Agriculture Environment and Agriculture
SAO of the Czech Republic
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