Prague Environment 2017 - Text Summary

INTRODUCTION

Dear readers,

You are now reading the 28^th edition of publication about environmental conditions in Prague, focusing on the year 2017. As each year before, you can read here how Prague environment is developing in respective areas, what kind of activities and projects were held in this year, what were and what are the main objectives and plans of the municipal government in this area.

As you can find on the following pages, there are many areas where we, the city government, as well as its citizens, can be satisfied with the existing condition and its development. Besides others, we may mention long-term projects of revitalisation of Prague reservoirs and streams.

Therefore, the result is both, revitalised country as well as new attractive places for recreation of citizens and visitors of Prague. Each year, new forest lands are made, permanent revitalisations are held and reconstructions of Prague parks. In 2017, also an extensive reconstruction of Stromovka – the Royal Game Reserve was made with new ponds created.

A comprehensive system of communal waste treatment is being developed with new options. Since 2017, e.g. new Prague composting plant is in operation. We were successful in achieving the highest treated volume of waste and household equipment in the city streets by now, reaching a total volume of 54,126 tons.

From 2017, the Strategy of Climate Change Adaptation was approved for Prague. Following its adoption, the Implementation Plan was prepared (adopted in 2018). So, Prague has another basic document, providing a base for the execution of projects and other activities thanks to which Prague may assist in the reduction of climate change impacts.

On the other hand, it’s necessary to reduce trends we are not satisfied with. There are many areas that were not developing as it would be needed, lacking sufficient speed as well. Since 2015, we see the nominal production of greenhouse gases in Prague rising again, while by that time it was decreasing. The consumption of potable water in households started to rise again since 2016. Electric energy consumption in households is increasing. We are not successful in the decrease of production of mixed communal waste and in effective coordination of plastics production from households. Also, the trend of disconnection from SZTE (system of heating energy supply) goes on and the substitution of this emission-free way of heating by new boiler rooms, causing an increase in emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases locally. Moreover, even the consumption of fire wood is increasing with the popularity of using fireplaces and fireplace inserts, resulting in an increase of benzo(a)pyrene and dust particle in locations with family houses. We see permanent increase in the number of passenger cars per citizen. In 2017, following a longer decrease, intensity of traffic started to increase in the central cordon. Water quality in groundwater streams is improving only slightly.

All these cases demonstrate that we did not achieve to change the direction towards a real sustainable development in Prague. We can see number of fine improvements around us when it comes to country revitalisation, city cleanliness or the creation of fine places for recreation, but that’s not enough. Our consumption behavior is changing slowly or not even changing and the companies are not performing quick changes sufficiently neither.

Therefore, Prague will be undertaking maximum efforts in the following years to achieve changes. It will become an example for the reduction of energy consumption, waste production, emission of pollutants and greenhouse gases, economy with rainwater while the city will revitalize reservoirs, streams, parks further as well as prepare new woodlands. It will also support companies when it comes to innovations and will be trying create proper conditions for Prague citizens and visitors at the same time so they have sufficient information as well as possibility to contribute to positive changes by their own activities.

Inspiration can be found not only in this publication, but also in other city publications, on internet website being prepared as well as in new applications.

Let’s wish each other much success for this.

Petr Hlubuček

Deputy mayor and member of the City Council of the Capital City of Prague for environment, infrastructure, technical equipment and safety

BASIC DATA

Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic and also the largest city in terms of area (496 km²) and population (1.29 million as of 31st December 2017). In terms of environmental quality, Prague has to deal with the same issues as other large cities around the world. Primarily, these include the impact of road traffic, noise, water and energy management, waste management, sustainable land use, cleanliness, greenery, and preserving valuable nature sites within the city territory.
In its programme statement for the 2014–2018 term, Prague City Council labelled a healthy environment as one of the basic preconditions for quality of life. The main aims listed in terms of the environment include stopping the loss of green space reducing the negative impact of noise on citizens; increasing the proportion of water elements; improving water purity in the Vltava and its tributaries; pushing for a new waste management concept with the goal of reducing the amount of municipal waste; supporting separate collection of biodegradable waste; support for environment education and awareness; protecting unique natural areas; integrating Prague into the National Network of Healthy Cities and Local Agenda 21; support for public involvement in caring for the environment. Plans in terms of transport include modernising, expanding and operating transport infrastructure so as to help the City of Prague function well and further develop, and so it is environmentally friendly. Support for urban public transport is also a priority.

AIR AND CLIMATE PROTECTION

Fuel energy sources and traffic represent significant source of greenhouse gases in Prague while the nominal emissions from traffic per unit of area is more than ten times higher than the average value in the Czech Republic thanks to a high intensity of road traffic. The prevailing source of emission of greenhouse gases coming from traffic is the individual automobile traffic due to the highest rate of automobilisation in the CR, reaching 652 vehicles per 1,000 citizens in 2017 and also due to the increasing popularity of use of passenger cars for transportation.

The situation with imissions within the Prague agglomeration came worse when comparing it to 2016. The reasons were significantly good conditions for dispersion during the first two months in 2017 with adverse effects, resulting in couple of smog conditions. The areas exceeding imission limits in 2017 were detected at 71.6% of city territory.

In 2017, the 24-hour PM10 imission limit was exceeded in five from 15 locations with sufficient number of data for evaluation. Such 24-hour imission limit was exceeded within the municipalities of Prague 10 – Vršovice, Prague 5 – Smíchov, Prague 9 – Vysočany, Prague 8 – Karlín and Prague 10 – Průmyslová. However, in 2017 as well as in previous years, the annual imission limit for PM10 was not exceeded in any of the 15 locations, relevant for the evaluation of annual concentration.

In general, high concentrations of suspended PM10 and PM2,5 particles are achieved in cooler periods of year when higher emissions of solid pollutants are seen due to a higher intensity of heating and higher traffic emissions as well as better meteorological conditions for the dispersion of pollutants.

The imission limit for average annual concentrations of PM2,5 suspended particles was not exceeded in any of six stations in 2017 with sufficient number of data for evaluation. The highest concentrations were measured at the Prague 5 – Smíchov station, classified as a transit one. At this location, there is an increase in annual concentration of PM2,5 visible since 2013.

In the event of concentration of (NO2) nitrogen dioxide, there was a mildly higher pollution detected when comparing it to 2016, however the annual imission limit for NO2 is exceeded only at two locations from 12. These are traditionally locations with the highest traffic, Prague 2 – Legerova (hot spot) and Prague 5 – Smíchov. In 2017, the value of hour imission limit of 200 μg.m-3 was exceeded only in one of 12 locations relevant for the assessment. This was the station Prague 2 – Legerova (hot spot). The permitted number of excesses in 2017 of 18x per annum was not exceeded in any location.

In 2017, the concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene were mildly higher when comparing them to concentrations in previous years, however, the annual imission limit was not exceeded in any of the monitored locations.

In 2017 (average for 3 years 2015–2017), the imission limit for ground ozone was exceeded at three out of six assessed stations within the Prague agglomeration. It was exceeded at the location Prague 5 – Stodůlky, Prague 6 – Suchdol and Prague 4 – Libuš.

In case of all other monitored pollutants, the imission limits were fulfilled.

WATER

Water quality in Vltava and Berounka rivers within the territory of Prague and adjacent areas is monitored at 4 profiles for a long term. In 2016-2017, for majority of monitored indicators, water at these profiles was classified at first and second (partially at third) grade of evaluation scale with the exception of microbiological and biological indicators, classified from the first to fifth grade, while in the total assessment (resulting quality grades), 2 profiles were classified as the 4. grade and 2 profiles as the 5. grade (i.e. deterioration compared to the previous period).

In minor streams, the water was evaluated according to percentage of measured results in respective grades of water quality for two-year period of 2016–2017 and the values were classified into 5-year periods. The percentage values of 5. grade of water quality for 2016–2017 did not change practically when comparing it to the period of 2011–2015. However, at the same time, the percentage portion of values in the I. and II. grade rose markedly (from a total number of 38 improvement at 30 profiles and 7 deteriorations).

Supply of potable water to citizens is kept on high level permanently. Water works Želivka, from which the water is supplied to Prague by a 52 km long adit supply conduit, represents a valuable source of water for the capital city. The water source Želivka represented 72.9% on the total volume of 117.5 mil. m3 of potable water produced in 2017.

Almost each household is connected to a public water supply network. Potable water consumption from a public water supply network by households is decreasing from a long-term perspective, while in 2016 and 2017, it rose a little compared to 2014 and 2015 (in 2017 it was ca 109 l/person/day, in 2014 and 2015 ca 106 l/person/day).

We were successful in decreasing the water losses from network from 46% reached in 1996 to lower values under 20% in 2014 – in 2016 the losses reached ca 15.1%. The quality of potable water is regularly monitored and complies with domestic and European standards.

Ca 99% of households are connected to the water supply system. In 2017, ca 117.7 mil. m3 of wastewater was treated (100% of wastewater), while 93.1% is treated at the central wastewater treatment facility (ÚČOV) and the residual wastewater is treated at auxiliary facilities in suburban parts of the city. The volume of pollutants dispersed into groundwater complies with a pre-set limit and is being reduced for a long time.

From 2005, a flood protection of inner city was made and from 2015 (in connection to city ring), there is also the flood protection line for outside city parts. In 2016, a flood protection adjustment to Rokytka river basin was performed in Nedvězí. The preparation of measures at other streams goes on as well as the preparation of additional elements and extension of flood protection measures on the basis of experiences from the flood of 2013.

LANDSCAPE, NATURE, AND GREENERY

According to the evidence of ČÚZK (Czech Office for Land Surveying and Cadastres) for Prague in 2017, the areas show slight increase in the total measurement of built-up areas in comparison to the previous year (at the end of 2017, their portion was ca 10% of the entire city territory, however, since 1990 the increase reached 754 ha) and at the same time, additional increase in the so-called other territories was recorded by 35 ha compared to 2016 at the cost of agricultural land (which dropped 83 ha on an annual basis). Sustainable use of the areas is systematically assessed in development city plans, including the use of old unused buildings or areas of predominantly industrial buildings (so-called “brownfields”).

A positive aspect in the city is the annual increase of areas of lands designed to be a wood land, so wooden territories. In 2017, the increase reached 22 ha compared to 2016 and 337 ha in total since 1990.

Within the territory of Prague, there is a relatively large number of valuable natural locations protected by law within different protective grades. City focused on the management and maintenance intensively. On December 31, 2017, legal protection of 94 low-area specially protected lands (including 8 national natural landmarks, 70 natural landmarks and 16 national reservations) was secured within the city territory. This is an extensive variety of lands from geological and paleontological locations through botanic, zoological, entomological to even wooden locations of a total size of 2,325 ha (ca 4.7% of the entire city area).

Within the Natura 2000 system formation, 12 important European locations were approved by governmental regulations within the city territory in total. Furthermore, in the capital city area, there were 12 natural parks formed. At the same time, 29 important landmarks and 201 trees received protection as commemorative trees.

The city cares about the nature, country and greenery systematically also by the plantation of tree avenues, parks in the historical part of the city and woods (with recreational function) found predominantly in the suburban parts. The objective is to avoid any reduction of greenery in the city, but to increase it. Within the reconstruction of tree avenues of the I. category, more than 4,000 new trees were planted from 1995 by the end of 2017 (185 in 2017). Thanks to the plantation of new wooden areas, the area of wood rose by 337 ha from 1990 (by ca 7%). An important part of Prague country are also water streams and reservoirs. City takes care of the projects for their revitalisation (projects Renewal and Revitalisation of Prague Reservoirs /63 locations already reconstructed / and Streams for Life) on a regular basis.

WASTE

Over a long period in Prague, there is the annual production of waste recorded, oscillating between ca 4 to 7 million tons, depending on the extent of construction activities. In 2017, 4.5 mil. tons of waste were produced within the territory of capital city (4.6 mil. tons in 2016, 4.2 mil. tons in 2015). From the total volume of generated waste, ca 30.7% was used within in Prague, from which e.g. its use for energy represented 24.0% while 14.2% was used for surface adjustment and 52.6 recycled. Waste removal at collection facilities within the territory of the city made ca 0.3% from the entire waste generation. Burning of waste without any subsequent energy use thereof is kept at a value lower than one tenth of percent from the total waste production. Majority of the generated waste is treated outside of the Prague city area.

In 2017, the volume of municipal waste, generated by citizens, made ca 334 kg pre citizen. A comprehensive system of municipal waste treatment in Prague was developing further. The portion of utilized waste made 83.2% in 2017 while 56.1% was used for energy purpose.

In 2017, an increase in the volume of separated utilizable elements of waste was recorded in streets and household equipment (paper, glass, plastics, drink cartons) – total volume reached ca 54.1 thousand tons (an annual increase was 4.3% compared to 2015; by now, this is the largest volume that was collected since the system was put into operation). Collection of hazardous elements of municipal waste is ensured further (waste collection facilities, stable collection facilities of hazardous materials, mobile collections etc.).

At the end of 2017, 20 waste collection facilities of Prague were in operation. Also, the number of places of separate waste rose partially (ca 3,370 of public collection points and ca 1,360 directly in the buildings within the territory of the Prague historical area). Also the biowaste collection played an important role within the system (seasonally thanks to a large-capacity containers, then through a stable biowaste collection point in Prague 10 – Malešice, HMP collection facilities, municipal composting plants in Prague 20 and new, first city composting plants of Prague in Slivenec) and the collection of high-volume waste, also through waste collection facilities in Prague and high-capacity containers, unloaded in Prague streets. Moreover, a repetitive collection of selected commodities was ensured for a sixth consecutive year by using mobile collection facilities.

NOISE

An important issue for the city remains the noise outside. The predominant source of noise is the automobile traffic. Following the calculations within the Strategic Noise Map 2017 for Prague agglomeration (data from 2016), ca 73% of population was impacted by noise L (dvn) exceeding 55 dB.

On the basis of strategic noise maps, critical places are identified the primary attention in planning and execution of anti-noise measures is focused on. Such measures include the construction of anti-noise barriers, replacements of surfaces at selected roads, reconstruction of tram routes, modernisation of vehicle part of the mass transit etc.

In 2017 as well as in the previous years, the anti-noise measures were executed also in the airport Praha/Ruzyně. Besides standard operational, technical and economic measures for the reduction of noise from air traffic, it’s necessary to implement limitations of night operation – flights of airplanes during night hours.

TRAFFIC

Traffic is a factor markedly impact the quality of environment in Prague. Requirements for mobility ensuring are balanced by efforts to minimize adverse effects. For the traffic intensity, there’s the decrease in central parts of the city characteristic (central cordon), lasting from 1998, and conversely, a permanent increase (with the exception of 2015) of traffic in the outer section of city. In 2017, traffic rose here, compared to previous year, by more than 3.5%.

The number of passenger cars recorded in Prague rose again.

Within the sustainable traffic development, city is developing mass transit, striving to finish the highway ring, supports the reduction of fuel consumption and energy in traffic, reduces the impacts on air quality (including the use of vehicles for CNG and supporting electromobility) and noise barriers while supporting cycle and pedestrian traffic within economic possibilities.

Priority of the mass transit development represents one of the pillars of city traffic policy principles. In Prague and in the areas around, mass transit is secured by the system of the Prague Integrated Transport (PIT), including subway, municipal and suburban buses, railways as well as the cablecar to Petřín and ferries. At the end of 2017, 3 subway lines, 25 daily and 9 night tram lines, 376 bus lines (154 city, 100 suburban, 122 regional), 68 railway lines designed as S and R, 8 ferry lines and 1 cable-car route were operating within the PIT.

Within the PIT system in Prague, there were approximately 1.26 billion passengers transported (majority by subway – 34.5%) while the portion of mass transit within the entire transportation was 42% (pedestrians 26%, cycle 1%, automobile traffic 29%).

Also, the construction of cycling infrastructure went on, including the marking of cycling routes according to the “Concept of Development of Cycling Traffic in Prague by 2020” and the “New System of Numerical Marking of Cycle Routes within the Territory of the Capital City of Prague.” At the end of 2017, within the prepared network of cycle roads, 477 km of cycle routes were marked by directional designations.

From the entire network of cycle roads, more than 178 km were protected routes and 105.5 km used integration measures. In 2017, ca 1.5 km of new cycle lanes were put into operation as well as 1.3 km of cycle picto-corridors while e.g. 2 cycle passes were made.

In 2017, the portion of cycle traffic reached approximately 1% of all transportations in the city.

ENERGETICS

In the context of the sustainable development of the city, Prague also deals with energy management. In accordance with the Municipal Energy Strategy, the city implements numerous activities in the field of energy savings. Based on energy audits, measures to reduce the energy consumption of buildings are taken, especially those buildings owned and used by

the city (bureaus, schools, social institutes). By the end of 2017, 468 preventive measures had been implemented at a total cost of CZK 1.599 billion. By insulating buildings, up to 50% of the energy consumptioncan be saved.

In 2017, the subsidy program „Clean Energy Prague“ went on to support the replacement of heating systems into ecological media and to support the utilization of renewable sources in appartment buildings (CZK 23.918 mil. was paid for 1,480 accommodation units).

In 2017, the receipt of applications within the first request by so-called boiler subsidies in Prague continued and at the same time, 2nd request (both requests were executed within the Operational Program for Environment) was made public.

In 2017, the replacement of 108 pcs of old, non-ecological boilers was supported, reaching the amount of CZK 12,829,805.61 within the 1st request (in total, 1st request in 2016-2017: 184 pcs, CZK 21,790,889.21), and subsequently, replacement of 25 pcs of old, non-ecological boilers of total amount of CZK 2,895,285.75 was supported within the 2nd request.

ENVIRONMENTAL TOOLS AND POLICIES

When it comes to managing environmental protection, the Capital City of Prague implements tools that are available to it both as a city and as an autonomous region. Traditional tools include measures and processes stemming from legislation – the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC), strategic and urban planning documents (Actualised Strategic Plan 2016, the Regional Settlement Plan of the Capital City of Prague, Spatial Planning Materials), and economic tools, of which Prague implements, for example, grant processes and subsidy programmes for the field of environmental protection and energy utilisation (Grants supporting projects improving the environment in the Capital City of Prague /since 1996/, the Clean Energy for Prague subsidy programme /since 1994/). Some of the modern tools supporting environmental protection that the city itself implements or that it supports in some way include Environmental Education, Training and Awareness (EETA), Local Agenda 21, international projects, and the provision of information. Numerous municipal districts are active in volunteer programmes, especially in the implementation of Local Agenda 21, or in the implementation of individual environmental protection measures as part of Green Government actions. At the all-Prague level, projects of international partnerships are realised.

The municipal informational support for experts and the general public is primarily ensured by the Prague Environmental Information System (IOŽIP) and the Regional Information System (ISU).

The City of Prague's long-term strategic plans for protecting and caring for the environment are formulated in the City of Prague Strategic Plan and more recently (since 2017) in the adopted City of Prague Strategy for Adapting to Climate Change, as well as a number of conceptual documents focused on thematic sub-areas.

In 2017, Prague had conceptual documents, action programmes and action plans for sub-fields of environmental protection at its disposal, all of which elaborated the given strategic objectives and intentions in detail.

EIA

In 2017, the Environmental Protection Department of the Magistrate of the Capital City of Prague received, as a competent authority, 22 notifications being subject to assessment procedure under the law (hereinafter referred to only as the “EIA”). In 2017, on the basis of assessment procedure, 5 EIA procedures ended with a resolution that the plan will be assessed further according to law and 19 assessment procedures ended with a resolution that the plan won’t be assessed further under the law. During this period, 3 concurring opinions were made pursuant to section 10 of the act.

7 EIA procedures were ended on the basis of request made by investors.

In 2017, The Ministry of Environment, as a competent authority, received 5 notifications on the plans that are subject to assessment procedure related to the Prague area. During the monitored period of time, 2 procedures ended by a resolution that the plan won’t be assessed further according to law while 1 plan was resolved by a resolution that the plan will be assessed further. 5 binding concurrent opinion under the sec. 10 of the act were published. No investor requested termination of the EIA procedure.

IPPC

In the Capital City of Prague, 36 legally valid integrated permits were issued and 257 were amended in the period from when the Act came into effect until the end of 2017. Of these, a total of 10 integrated permits were abolished: 6 facilities discontinued operations, and 4 facilities were exempted from the Act of Integrated Prevention.

By the end of 2017, a total of 26 facilities with valid integrated permits were registered.

Overview of conceptual documents for the environment and related fields

Documents adopted in 2017:

City of Prague Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change;
City of Prague Waste Management Plan (as a waste originator - municipality);
Action Plan for Noise Reduction in the Prague Agglomeration 2016;

Documents in the state of preparation in 2017:

Implementation plan of the Adaptation Strategy of the Capital City of Prague to Climate Change for 2018–2019.

Other selected valid documents adopted before 31 st December 2016:

Regional Concept for Environmental Education and Awareness within the City of Prague for the period 2016–2025 and the follow-up Action Plan for the Regional Concept for Environmental Education and Awareness within the City of Prague for the period 2016–2017;
City of Prague Regional Waste Management Plan;
Programme for Improving Air Quality – Prague Agglomeration CZ01 (Note: document prepared under the Ministry of the Environment);
Prognosis, Concept and Strategy of Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection in Prague;
Strategy of Greenery Maintenance in the Capital City of Prague;
The Territorial Energy Concept of the Capital City of Prague for the period 2013–2033;
General Drainage Plan of the Capital City of Prague;
General Water Supply Plan of the Capital City of Prague;
General Water Mains Development and Sewage Plan, as amended;
Principles of Transport Policy of the Capital City of Prague;
Concept of development of cycling and recreational cycling in the Capital City of Prague until 2020;
Principles of the new system of numeric marking of cycling routes on the territory of the City of Prague;
Principles of Developing Pedestrian Traffic in the Capital City of Prague.

Environmental education, training and awareness (EETA, "EVVO")

The Capital City of Prague develops activities within environmental education, training and awareness (hereinafter EVVO) in connection with valid state legislation and conceptual documents, as well as international documents. The basic regional

strategic document for EVVO on the regional level in 2016 was the Regional Concept of Environmental Education, Training and Awareness in the Territory of the City of Prague for 2016–2025. This conception is continued by the action plans for the regional concepts of EVVO for individual years or longer periods (in 2017, the valid AP KK EVVO of the Region of the Capital City of Prague was for the years 2016-2017). Among the pillars of EVVO in Prague are schools and school facilities and non-governmental organizations, which mainly include centres of environmental education.

In 2017, 7 organizations were members of SSEV Pavučina. The realization of environmental education at schools is part of the framework educational programs and other documents and respective methodologies at all levels of the educational system.

Local Agenda 21 in Prague, 2017

The Local Agenda 21 and local Actions 21 (LA 21) are volunteer programmes and projects for the sustainable development of towns, cities and regions. The coordinator in the Czech Republic for these issues is the workplace for the Local Agenda 21

CENIA, the Czech Environmental Information Agency. Among other things, this agency manages a database of subjects involved in LA 21 (ma21.cenia.cz). In 2013, the Capital City of Prague as a region officially adhered to the principles of the local Agenda 21 by joining the association National Network of Healthy Cities of the Czech Republic, and by approving the

Declaration of the project “Healthy Capital City of Prague”. In 2016, LA21 projects continued at the level of individual municipal districts. For this year there are a total of 16 municipal districts, of those 10 in Category C, 5 in Category D and 1 in the category of Interested Parties.

POPULATION AND HEALTH

The natality in Prague rose between 2016 and 2017 again. The total mortality rose and the mortality rate per 1,000 citizens decreased. Standardized mortality rate in Prague for both genders is lower than the mortality rate in the entire Czech Republic. From 1990, this rate is decreasing for both genders.

The most frequent cause of death are diseases of the cardiovascular system (led by other ischemic cardiovascular diseases and vascular brain diseases) and then the tumours. The mortality rate per 100,000 citizens caused by tumours is decreasing slowly.

20. května 2019