1. Pressure on the environment
The main air pollutants in Poland include
sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and dust. Due to increased
legal and economic efficiency in the early nineties, sulphur
dioxide and dust emission have significantly decreased during
the last decade. The rationalization of water consumption
for both industrial and household applications has resulted
in a decrease the amount of sewage.
The
high volume of accumulated waste and its illegal or improper
disposal is a serious threat for both the public and the
environment. The Waste Management Act (in effect from January
1, 1998) has provided the new legal basis for waste management
and control. A decrease in and the subsequent stabilization
of the volume of industrial waste has resulted mainly from
changes in industrial production, including the reduction
in coal mining. Industrial waste treatment is still only
carried out on a relatively small scale in Poland, and mainly
at industrial plants to meet the plant's own needs. A market
for industrial waste treatment services is still only emerging
(GRID ENRIN)
2.
State of the biota
Forest
habitats are predominantly coniferous, which cover approximately
66 percent of the forest area. Over the last 50 years the
percentage of the broadleaf species has increased from 13%
in 1945 up to 22.5% in 1996.
Since
1995 there has been a noticeable improvement in the health
of forest stands. The most prominent improvement has been
observed in coniferous species (pine and fir). Beech and
birch stands have shown the largest improvements among the
broadleaf species. These improvements have resulted from
continued reductions in air pollution and increased precipitations
during the growing period.
3.
Response
The
political changes of 1989 initiated new important and progressive
steps in the environmental field. The new National Environmental
Policy (NEP) document was approved by Parliament in 1991.
NEP is based on the principles of sustainable development
and the "polluter pays" principle. The intermediate
short-term goal is to eliminate environmental hazards posing
imminent threats to human health. Over the mid-term, the
NEP has sought to initiate the harmonization of Polish environmental
standards with Western levels. The long-term goal of the
NEP is to implement sustainable development practices throughout
the Polish economy (REC 1998).
Over
the last 15 years protected areas have been increased substantially
and now cover over 29 percent of the country. There are
nine biosphere reserves and 23 national parks in Poland.
The national parks cover a total area of approximately 315,000
ha, (1 percent of the country). Polish National Parks are
exceptional in Europe for their range of wildlife, their
size and varying geographical interest. Habitat types found
in the parks include: mountain ranges, highlands, lowlands,
forests, lakes, rivers, wetlands and Baltic coastal areas.
Besides the main goal (i.e. nature conservation) the parks
also carry out scientific, didactic and tourist activities.
The
common webpage of the Polish National Parks
4. Institutional background - links
Ministry
of the Environment
State
inspectorate for Environmental Protection
Polish
Academy of Sciences
Institute
of Oceanology
Mammal
Research Institute
Karol
Starmach Institute of Freshwater Biology
Institute
of Systematics and Evolution of Animals
Wladyslaw
Szafer Institute of Botany
Institute
of Botany of Jagellonian University
Laboratory
of Environmental Ecology
Forest
Research Institute in Warsaw
Institute
for Sustainable Development, Warsaw
Institute
of Environmental Protection
Institute
for Ecology of Industrialized Areas
WWF
