Water and nature

Project:

SpongeBoost: Upscalling the natural sponge functions of freshwater ecosystems to deliver multi-benefit green deal solutions

Provider:

Horizon Europe

Investigator:

IEEP, Institute for Economic and Environmental Policy, Faculty of Social and Economic Studies - Jan Evangelista Purkyně University

Duration: 

01/2024 – 12/2027

Description:

A consortium of 10 partners from a total of 7 different European countries aims to find, compile and test innovative solutions to increase the potential of the sponge function of the landscape, especially wetlands. Due to the impacts of climate change, it is essential to find ways to preserve or restore key ecosystem functions and features in the landscape. The main aim of the project is to develop a roadmap to support the further implementation of these measures based on all the evidence from existing research around the world, as well as the results of its own investigations and pilot case studies. In addition to the natural and technical aspects, attention will also be given to economic, social and regulatory aspects and to finding business models that will provide funding for the implementation of wetlands and other nature-based solutions beyond existing subsidies in the form of alternative innovative models.
The IEEP team is responsible for leading one work package and is also significantly involved in the implementation of institutional analysis, barrier analysis and the design and validation of innovative business models.

Researcher

in charge:

Jan Macháč, Jan Brabec, Lenka Slavíková, Jiří Louda, Marek Hekrle, Lenka Zaňková

Cooperation

Helmholtz Zentrum für Umweltforschung, Wetlands International-European Association and other partners

Project:

Improving society’s resilience to effects of crisis by increasing food self-sufficiency

Provider:

Technology Agency of the Czech Republic

Investigator:

IEEP, Institute for Economic and Environmental Policy, Faculty of Social and Economic Studies - Jan Evangelista Purkyně University

Duration: 

05/2021–12/2023

Description:

The objective of this interdisciplinary project is to identify the potential for reducing negative impacts of crises by establishment of community gardens (CGs) on municipal land leading to increasing food self-sufficiency of city inhabitants. A survey among community garden members, coordinators as well as city inhabitants and elected municipal representatives will identify benefits of community gardens during the COVID-19 crisis, barriers to establishment of urban CG and most appropriate plots of land, along with checking the demand among inhabitants for involvement in urban agriculture in community gardens. Eventually, we will identify the overall potential for CG establishment by municipalities in order to mitigate negative impacts of economic and social crises on inhabitants.

In this project, the IEEP research team follows up on its previous research dealing with benefits of community gardens and motivations of their members. The findings will be dissemination in collaboration with KOKOZA, o.p.s., and will be used to support establishment of specific urban community gardens in selected cities.

Researcher

in charge:

Jan Macháč, Lenka Dubová, Marek Hekrle, Jan Vávra

Project:

Municipalities talk about water: Communication of the implementation of rainwater management measures in cities

Provider:

Technology Agency of the Czech Republic

Investigator:

Faculty of Social and Economic Studies - Jan Evangelista Purkyně University

Project duration: 

05/2021–12/2023

Description:

The project focuses on self-government needs in relation to communicating measures related to rainwater management (RWM), such as greenery planting, permeable surfaces, eco-friendly greenery maintenance, green roofs and walls, etc.

Good communication between the municipality and the public is a basic prerequisite for effective planning, easier implementability and better understanding of the purpose of specific measures. However, there are still numerous barriers to public involvement in planning and execution of RWM measures in practice. The effects include the fact that the public is not sufficiently informed about and identified with the purpose of specific measures. At the same time, some cities lack sufficient capacities for creating intelligible content that would be interesting and instructive for the public. A frequent consequence is conservation of existing unsatisfactory ways of both communication and rainwater management itself.

Therefore, the project “Municipalities talk about water” will primarily identify needs of municipalities for better communication of RWM measures and test effectiveness of communication capacities in relation to specific measures and public target groups.

The project is based on linking researchers in various disciplines (sociology, economics, marketing, public administration, urbanism). In this project, the IEEP research team follows up on its previous research dealing with green and blue infrastructure (e.g., see project WATER IN CITIES).

Researcher in

charge:

Assessment of achievability of permanent limits on wastewater discharge into surface waters and their cost proportionality. IWTP and MWTP Roztoky

VEOLIA ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA, a.s.

IREAS centrum, o.p.s.

12/2020 - 03/2021

Descritption:

Wastewater treatment is not a cheap matter; some waste products require advanced technologies to reduce. What technologies still pay off and what can be regarded as disproportionately costly?

Renovation of the industrial wastewater treatment plant in Roztoky included discussion of setting the limits for wastewater discharge, i.e., the concentrations of some substances that are discharged into the watercourse after the treatment.

The objective of the study was to assess the cost proportionality of technically achievable solutions in light of different settings of limits on the wastewater discharge. Attention was focused on inert COD. Based on an assessment of different options regarding environmental impacts, compliance with the limits and costs of achieving them, followed by a comparison of the potential options, we identified the cost-proportionate option and a ranking of the different options. The cost proportionality assessment procedure is based on a methodology for awarding exemptions from application of emission limits associated with best available techniques.

Jan Macháč, Jan Brabec, Marek Hekrle

Project:

WATER IN THE CITY: Blue and Green Infrastructure Interdisciplinary

Provider:

Technology Agency of the Czech Republic

Investigator:

IEEP, Institute for Economic and Environmental Policy

Duration: 

05/2019–04/2021

Description:

Implementation of nature-based solutions in urbanized areas has a significant potential for adaptation of municipalities to climate change and reduction of associated negative effects such as floods from torrential rainfall, drought or heat islands. Although Czech municipalities try to prevent these effects, implementation of nature-based rainwater-retaining solutions in reality often faces insufficient capacities and lack of information necessary for their planning, procurement, implementation and promotion. One-sided solutions that do not fully exploit the potential for implementing blue and green infrastructure are often designed for these reasons.
The aim of our interdisciplinary project is to create a methodology that will clarify and facilitate municipalities' decision-making during planning and implementation of nature-based rainwater-retaining solutions in urbanized areas. Furthermore, particular examples of possible solutions in an urbanized area will be provided, based on the character of the city and its surroundings.
The IEEP research team builds here on previous projects dealing with blue and green infrastructure. Existing outputs and tools will be further developed and applied in this project through interdisciplinary cooperation.

Researcher in
charge:

Jan Macháč,
Marek Hekrle

Project:

Water Education for Innovative Environmental Learning (Wat.Edu)

Provider:

Erasmus+, Reg. č.: 2018-1-HU01-KA201-047800

Investigator:

IREAS, Institute for Structural Policy

Duration: 

11/2018–06/2021

Description:

The project´s main objective is to elaborate, test and gradually implement a new experiential, innovative, water-close learning material and pedagogy in participating educational institutions with the aim of improving students´ basic environmental awareness and competences mainly in relation with water-close environmental challenges. Developed intellectual outputs at environmental educational elements will be integrated in schools daily teaching practise through a multidisciplinary approach where pupils aged between 12 and 14 will be able to understand relevant water-close interlinks between different subjects: natural and social sciences, arts, water technology (as horizontal learning element involved in each subject). The emphasis is placed on following subjects: biology, chemistry, geography and art.
Wat.Edu is common project of 8 institutions from 4 countries. In each country one elementary school and one research/practical institution is involved. Our common goal is to educate children for the future challenges connected with water. Wat.Edu project follows up and further develops two ongoing regional projects Water Agent and Water Agent V 003.

Researcher in
charge:

Jan Macháč,
Michaela Hanzlová

Web-site:

www.watedu.eu

www.facebook.com/watedueu

Project:

Water Agent V 003: Environmental education of pupils in the field of water management

Submitter:

Visegrad Fund

Investigator:

IREAS, Institute for Structural Policy

Project duration: 

06/2018–07/2019

Description:

How to raise awareness of pupils about the water management?

Thanks to the Visegrad fund we will do it through a handbook for basic school teachers that will be created by experts from the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia.

This handbook will support teachers in including environmental topics such as water governance into the common educational system. It will be based on experience pedagogy using motivational methods including games, quizzes, experiments, worksheets and other materials for interactive education. Final version should be available for teachers in the school year 2019/2020 in 3 national languages: Czech, Slovak and Hungarian. It will help them to teach tree basic topics: i) water in the landscape, ii) water consumption in households and schools iii) water in the city.

With changes of the climate conditions in the Central Europe there is a need to change behaviour of citizens considering water management and water policy (including changes in water consumption). Unfortunately, society has only low awareness about this topic in general. Therefore implementation of necessary measures faces low support of inhabitants.

Although the basic education curriculum includes topics dealing with environmental education, water management is not covered sufficiently in classical subjects, especially in the context of current challenges. This is the reason why project Water Agent V 003 sets its goal to introduce the issue of water governance to the youngest generations and their families and teachers.

Project outputs are developed by IREAS (Czech Republic) in cooperation with the GWP CEE (Slovakia) and IMRO (Hungary)

Contact persons:

Jan Machac, e-mail: machac (at) ireas.cz
Michaela Jerabkova, e-mail: jerabkova (at) ireas.cz

Web-site:

Water Agent V 003 website

Download:

Our Handbook (MACHÁČ, Jan; JEŘÁBKOVÁ, Michaela (Ed.) 2019. WATER AGENT V 003: Environmental education of pupils in the field of water management. Prague: IREAS, Institute for Structural Policy) is available to be downloaded as a PDF version in English, Czech, Slovak and Hungarian.

Project:

Restoration of Biodiversity and Ecosystems of Beskydy Region's Forests Threatened By Climate Change

Provider:

Interreg V-A Slovak Republic – Czech Republic

Investigator:

IREAS, Institute for Structural Policy

Duration: 

7/2018–6/2020

Description:

The Czech-Slovak cross-border project aims to protect the biodiversity of the cross-border area by means of co-operation in the field of conservation and coordinated management of important natural areas. It responds to the current threat to the biodiversity of forest ecosystems in the Beskydy region as a result of ongoing climate change and offers systemic measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change in the future. It will increase the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation and regeneration and promote sustainable provision of ecosystem services. The key outputs of the project are:
• Plan of Adaptation of the Beskydy Forests to Climate Change,
• Web-map application "Beskydy Forests and Climate Change",
• Pilot project to convert the monocultural spruce forest into an age-diverse natural forest.

Project:

Development of methods of economic evaluation of green and blue infrastructure in urban areas

Provider:

Technology Agency of the Czech Republic

Investigator:

IEEP, Institute for Economic and Environmental Policy

Duration: 

10/2017–07/2019

Description:

The realization of nature based solution fases their low enforceability and awareness of their co-benefits. An economic assessment of specific measures may serve as an important argument for the implementation (planning) of these measeures and leads to an increase in awareness of their importance. The aim of the project is to find, define, systemize and validate methods for the economic evaluation of different categories of nature based solutions (e.g. green walls and roofs, trees, etc.) in intelligent urban areas using green and blue infrastructure. The categories can be quantified both from the point of view of the direct costs and benefits associated with the construction and operation, and from the point of view of the side effects that are currently missing in the decisioin making process. A comprehensive methodology was developed within the project, which will serve primarily as a basis for decision-making processes in the public administration.

Researcher in charge:

Jan Macháč, Lenka Dubová, Jiří Louda, Marek Hekrle, Lenka Zaňková, Jan Brabec

Download:

Macháč, J., Dubová, L., Louda, J., Hekrle, M., Zaňková, L. et Brabec, J. (2019). Methodology for Economic Assessment of Green and Blue Infrastructure in Human Settlements. Ústí nad Labem: Institute for Economic and Environmental Policy (IEEP).

Project:

Smart information, governance and business innovations for sustainable supply and payment mechanisms for forest ecosystem services (InnoForESt)

Provider:

Program Horizon 2020

Investigator:

IREAS, Institut pro strukturální politiku, o. p. s.

Duration: 

10/2017–9/2020

Description:

Current forestry is mainly focused on timber harvesting. It's harnessed by traditional markets unlike other forest ecosystem services (e.g. recreation, flood protection through water retention, carbon sequestration etc.).
The aims of this three-year project are to spark a transformation of the European forest sector and to support the supply of forest ecosystem services. This project seeks to adjust forest-related policy towards greater cooperation of key actors, cross-sectoral coordination, multilevel governance and the use of innovative economic instruments in forestry. It should also helps to provide alternative income streams from forest ecosystem services. The use of laboratory and field experiments will explore the importance of institutions (in terms of game rules) on forest management.
Our team will performs in the Czech Republic and Slovak one of the six planned case studies to create an innovative platform and multi-actor network. Our case study will focus primarily on the analysis of payments for ecosystem services (PES). Other new tools, such as public-private partnerships, will be discussed with practical partners. The project will involve an interlinking of our team's activities in the area of nature and ecosystem services. Our team will develop new and innovative area of payments for ecosystem services.

Project:

LAND4FLOOD: Natural Flood Retention on Private Land

COST European Cooperation in Science and Technology

IEEP, Institute for Economic and Environmental Policy

11/2017–9/2021

Description:

How to encourage land owners to realize or cooperate in realization of natural water retention measures for the flood damage reduction? Climate change increases the frequency and intensity of future flood events, leading to higher costs of flood damages and increasing the public demand for protective measures. Traditional flood protection measures, mainly based on grey infrastructure (i.e. dikes, dams, etc), are not sufficient to cope with dynamic flood risk alone. Nature-based solutions such as Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRM) are promising options to mitigate flood risks as a complement to grey infrastructure. However, a common characteristic of green infrastructure measures is that they often claim more land than traditional methods.

The challenge is to consider multifunctional land uses, which enable temporary flood retention and flood storage on private land without restricting the provision of other ecosystem services. The reconciliation of flood risk management and land management is needed.

More information:

http://www.cost.eu/COST_Actions/ca/CA16209

Project:

STRIMAII: Saxon-Czech Flood Risk Management II

Cooperation Programme Free State of Saxony - Czech Republic 2014–2020

IEEP, Institute for Economic and Environmental Policy, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University

7/2017–12/2020

Description:

Cross-border cooperation in flood risk management is important not only because the emergency information sharing is needed to improve preparedness. Other reasons are the need for the flood management experience exchange and the coordination of damage mitigation strategies. Crucial actors in this process are Mayors of (potentially) affected villages, citizens and entrepreneurs influencing run-off conditions in the river basin scale. The project builds on the first steps undertaken within STRIMA I and aims to further deepen the cross-border flood risk management, including the prevention of damages on buildings and infrastructure. It also supports the continuity of cross-border flood risk management forums. Important part of the project is the economic and institutional analysis of natural flood retention measures.

Project:

Economic Support for Strategic and Decision-making Processes at the National and Regional Level, Leading to Sustainable Energy use of Agricultural Biomass, while Respecting Food Self-sufficiency and Soil Conservation

Provider:

Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic, QK – Programe of Applied Research of Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic for the perion 2017–2025 EARTH

Investigator:

IEEP, Institute for Economic and Environmental Policy

Duration: 

02/2017–12/2020

Description:

The pressure on agricultural land exploitation is ever increasing at present, whether for growing of fodder, energy biomass or food production, resulting in conflicts among these differing interests and uses. The problem is further aggravated by the climate change in progress, which manifests itself by more frequent and longer droughts among other things. Support to renewable sources of energy, including biomass, has a substantial influence as well. The project therefore strives to identify suitable methods for optimization of biomass use with respect to economic efficiency, food self-sufficiency (need to grow food and fodder) and consideration of requirements for soil protection, notably limits on soil exploitation and prevention of soil degradation.
The project follows up and expands on the IS RESTEP tool for optimization of biomass use. The principal objective of the follow-up project is to add an ECONOMICS module to the tool, enabling regional sustainable energy planning.
The IEEP team focused in the project on impact assessment of Renewable energy sources at municipality level and and on assessment of externalities associated with biomass production. Two methodologies of assessment are output of the project.

Researcher
in charge: 

Jan Macháč,
Lenka Zaňková,
Lenka Dubová

Project:

BIDELIN: Ecosystem services, biodiversity and green and blue infrastructure values in cities on the example of Dresden, Liberec and Decin

Provider:

Cooperation Programme Free State of Saxony – Czech Republic 2014-2020

Investigator:

IEEP, Institute for Economic and Environmental Policy, Faculty of Social and Economic Studies UJEP (project leader: Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development, Dresden, Germany)

Duration: 

1/2017–12/2019

Description:

Presently, preservation of biodiversity and functioning of ecosystems belongs to the main challenges for human society. Although services provided by nature affect significantly the quality of life and human well being, there are losses of the services due to a construction development especially in cities. To the green and blue infrastructure is attached great importance as a result of the growing population in cities and increasing risks of manifestation of climate change.
This project seeks to reveal the relation between sustainable nature value creation, the elements of nature in cities and human well-being by utilizing the concept of ecosystem services. The aim is to increase the importance of ecosystem services and value of nature in an urban environment using green and blue infrastructure evaluation in the pilot cities (Dresden, Liberec, Decin) by utilizing methodological approaches of economic assessment. The results of this analysis can be used in decision-making processes in the field of urban planning, nature conservation and work with the public.
In the project our team will focus on the creation of common methodological approaches and on the use of ecosystem services concept valuation of green and blue infrastructure in cities The project will involve an interlinking of our team's activities in the area of nature and ecosystem services and nature-based solutions valuation in the cities.

Project:

Payments for Ecosystem Services (Forest for Water) (PESFOR-W)

Provider:

COST Action

Investigator:

CETIP Network, s. r. o.

Duration: 

2016–2020

Description:

The aim of the Action is to consolidate learning from existing woodlands for water payments for ecosystem services (PES) schemes in Europe and to help standardize approaches to evaluating the environmental effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of woodland measures. It will also create a European network through which PES schemes can be facilitated, extended and improved.

Project:

Climate-Smart Forestry in Mountain Regions

Provider:

COST Action CA15226

Investigator:

CETIP Network

Duration: 

2016–2019

Description:

Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) integrates the three-dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental), and aims at sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes, adapting and building resilience to climate change, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. CLIMO wants to translate the CSA concept for a Climate-Smart Forestry (CSF). Three main pillars will be considered:
• improve livelihood of mountain inhabitants by sustainably increasing forest ecosystem services;
• enhance the adaptation and resilience to climate change of mountain forests;
• optimise the climate change mitigation potential of mountain forests, focusing on the most efficient and cost-effective mitigation options and capitalising on adaptation-mitigation synergies.
The main objective is to define CSF in the European context, which will require the identification of key silvicultural characteristics and the harmonisation of CSF in mountain areas to create a common knowledge at European level. The "smartness" of the European forests will be defined according to the sustainability of forest management and mitigation potential. The ""smartness"" will be defined on the basis of measurable criteria and a checklist of parameters of "smartness" for mountain forests will be proposed. Experimental forest sites with available data to quantify the "smartness" of mountain forests will be identified to build a European Smart Forest Network (ESFONET).

Project:

Individual and organizational decision-making in environmental risk reduction: determinants, motivations and efficiency

Czech Science Foundation

Faculty of Science in cooperation with IEEP, Institute for Economic and Environmental Policy, J. E. Purkyně University

1/2016–12/2018

Description:

The environmental hazards have struck societies with considerable intensity and recurrence and their impacts are relative to the resilience of the society concerned. The effective ways to reduce environmental risk are related to social action and learning at different institutional levels and efficient risk reduction must be based on balance between individual and institutional approaches through participation and governance. Nevertheless, current writing frequently reduces the two-way nature of the participation process and it only partly analyses individual action as a formative component of institutional frameworks, which is even more distinct in Central-Eastern European context. In this project, we use the multilevel approach to analyse the determinants and mechanisms of how do individuals and institutions learn to reduce risks. We particularly address questions: What are the factors that determine the individual and organizational decision-making in risk reduction? How does the individual learning co-form the institutional frameworks of risk reduction? How are these mechanisms influenced by political-societal context of Central-Eastern Europe?

Project:

Economic Instruments for the Sustainable Management of Rain Water in Cities

Technology Agency of the Czech Republic

IEEP, Institute for Economic and Environmental Policy

1/2016–12/2017

Description:

In cooperation with colleagues of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague, the IEEP team contributes in analysis of rain water management in Czech cities. The goal of the project is to decrease negative impacts of rain water that overcharges sewage systems, especially through the modification of economic incentives for property owners. Different types of fees for the rain water will be investigated and their impacts will be modelled in typological case studies.

Project:

Impact assessment of the newly prepared / adopted legislation in the field of Water Supply and Sewerage on household income

Submitter:

Ernst & Young, s. r. o.

Invetigator:

IREAS centrum, s. r. o.

Project duration: 

4/2016–9/2016

Description:

The aim of the study was to comprehensively evaluate the impacts of each changes proposals to the water and sewerage legislation, which are based primarily on the requirements of the Water Framework Directive (Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council No. 2000/60/EC). The new legislation proposals include changes in the permissible values and fees for surface/groundwater consumption, definition of emission limits in waste water and restricted utilization of WWTP sludge on farmland. Planned changes in the law would affect the price of water and thus the final consumers – households. The study focused on analysing the impact of legislative changes on the lowest-income households, while taking the regional disparities into account (household income, water and sewerage prices). The analysis also included the magnitude of the municipality, the catchment area to which it belongs in the case of surface water abstraction, the current status of WWTPs and other variables which vary by region. Overall, impacts for more than 50 municipalities in all regions of the Czech Republic were modelled. A detailed model based on the current status and the water and sewerage level was created for each city. Subsequently, individual partial amendments to the legislation were introduced to the model, which led to the calculation of additional costs and thus the increase in the water and sewerage costs

Conclusions:

By carrying out the analysis it was found that the adoption of the planned legislation would have an impact on the increase of the share of water and sewerage expenditures on lowest-income households falling with the first decile (with income up to CZK 6 000 per person) from an average of 4.09 % by 2015 to 4.56 % in 2023 after the adoption of all planned and forthcoming legislative changes. For households with incomes between CZK 6 000 and 8 000 would this ratio increase from the original 2.81 % to 3.42 %. The envisaged changes would result in household budgets being burdened on average by 0.4–0.5 % of total revenues. The analysis further showed that the most significant effect on the increase in water and sewerage costs would be the setting of emission limits for waste water discharges where a number of currently used sewage treatment plants would have to undergo extensive refurbishment to technologically achieve the level required by law.

Researcher

in charge:

Jan Macháč, Lenka Zemková and Kristýna Rybová

Download:

Part of the results was presented and published in the conference proceedings: MACHÁČ, Jan; ZEMKOVÁ, Lenka. How much extra will households pay for environmental improvement? Impacts of water and sewerage legislation in preparation on incomes of the poorest households in the South Bohemian Region. In Matějová, L. (ed.) Proceedings of the 21st International Conference Current Trends in Public Sector Research 2017. Brno: Masaryk University, 2017. pp. 305-312. ISSN 2336-1239. ISBN 978-80-210-8448-3

Project:

Supporting development of adaptation measures and strategies in cities

Provider:

Technology Agency of the Czech Republic

Investigator:

IEEP, Institute for Economic and Environmental Policy, Faculty of Social and Economic Studies UJEP (project leader: Global Change Research Institute CAS)

Duration: 

1/2016–12/2017

Description:

The project aims to support decision-making processes and the development of adaptation measures and strategies in the pilot cities (Prague, Plzeň, Ústí nad Labem, Brno) by utilizing methodological approaches of economic assessment, analysis of existing policies (barriers and opportunities) in the area of climate change adaptation, and based on the assessment of the possibilities of implementing nature-based solutions in the cities.

Project:

Regionale Wertschöpfungsketten im Kontext von Ökosystemleistungen und Biodiversität - am Beispiel einer  tschechisch-polnisch-sächsischen Projektkooperation

Provider:

Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (through NETSCI GmbH)

Investigator:

Faculty of Social and Economic Studies, University of J. E. Purkyne in Usti nad Labem (project leader NETSCI GmbH)

Duration: 

2015–2017

Description:

This project follows up on the project „Biodiversität, Ökosystemleistungen und regionale Wertschöpfungsketten“ deepens the analysis of current use and future potential of using the ecosystem services concept, this time focusing on the business sector (especially in the food industry). Within the project, research of companies in the border area (aiming at the Usti nad Labem region and the Liberec region) is performed with the goal to identify both the selected economic sector, and particular businesses, where it will be able to apply the concept of ecosystem services and biodiversity within the standard activities of these businesses. A broader goal of this project is (in model companies) to integrate a system of indicators following the quality of biodiversity and the flow of ecosystem services, and to use these indicators both for nature and biodiversity protection, respectively; and to increase the additional value of the output of single companies. The research within the project will also be focused on the analysis of the potential of a cross border cooperation of subjects to increase the additional value of companies´ outputs. On this project, experts from Poland, Saxony and Bohemia will participate.

Project:

Development of urban adaptation strategies using ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation

Provider:

Programme CZ02 – Biodiversity, Monitoring and Climate Change financed from the EEA Grants 2009–2014

Investigator:

Faculty of Social and Economic Studies, University of J. E. Purkyne in Usti nad Labem (project leader: CzechGlobe – Global Change Research Centre of Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.)

Duration: 

2015–2016

Description:

The aim of the project is to launch and develop the preparation process of adaptation strategy of cities, and to design and evaluate suitable adaptation measures in selected urban areas (Prague, Brno, Pilsen) in the Czech Republic, with the support of ecosystem based approaches. Partial goals of the project are: to perform the risk and vulnerability assessment connected to the climate change on local urban level in cooperation with stakeholders, to identify relevant adaptation measures, to quantify costs and benefits of preferred adaptation measures, to prepare and formulate adaptation strategies of cities following on „Strategy on adaptation to climate change in the conditions of the Czech Republic", and to launch the process of an implementation of adaptation strategy and related measures. An important part is also the incorporation of the elements of „green and blue infrastructure" and ecosystem services into the adaptation cycle and into single measures and adaptation alternatives.

Project:

Biodiversität, Ökosystemleistungen und regionale Wertschöpfungsketten

Provider:

Verein für Internationales und Interdisziplinäres Management e. V.

Investigator:

Faculty of Social and Economic Studies, University of J. E. Purkyne in Usti nad Labem (project leader NETSCI GmbH)

Duration: 

2015

Description:

This relatively short project is focused on the description of the current state of knowledge on the ecosystem services and biodiversity in the Czech Republic and its use in practical environmental politics. Emphasis is put on the analysis of the currently existing knowledge on the management of ecosystem services in the Czech Republic, both at the academic level (published articles and monographies, realized projects), and at the political level (what political strategic documents concerning the biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Czech Republic exist, what support programs, etc.). A broader goal of the project is to identify the benefits and opportunities, which can be brought by the concept of ecosystem services to the regional chain (creation of added value). Within the project, a trilateral Czech-Polish-Saxon cooperation is established.

Project:

CROSSFLOODS: Cross Border Flood Risk Management

Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the Czech Republic, programme EUPRO II

IEEP, Institute for Economic and Environmental Policy

1/2014–12/2017

Description:

River floods are currently among the most pressing natural disasters. In the last decade, much research has been conducted in the field of flood risk management, but the landwater nexus has been barely addressed. Where to store the water in a catchment? What are instruments and arrangements to facilitate water retention and flood-resilient cities? To answer those question, an interdisciplinary and international research initiative dedicated to "Flood Retention and Resilience in River Catchments" has been successfully launched. Disciplines cover (but not restricted to) economics, law, spatial planning, water engineering, property theory; participants stem from Australia, Austria, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and Sweden. Goals of the project is to intensify the cooperation among participating organizations, including developing join publications and future projects. 

More

information:

http://floodland.net/

Project:

Evaluation of the cost proportionality of reaching the good water status

Technology Agency of the Czech Republic

IEEP, Institute for Economic and Environmental Policy, Faculty of Social and Economic Studies, J. E. Purkyne University

1/2014–12/2015

Description:

The implementation of the Water Framework Directive (No. 2000/60/EC) brought the commitment to reach "good status" of all water bodies until 2027. In reality, this means the adoption of numerous investment measures in order to decrease the pollution inflow and to improve the morphology of water bodies. However, achieving "good status" is associated with large investments, often beyond the capabilities of polluters. In justified cases, member states may request an extension of the deadline based on disproportionality of the costs of meeting the WFD requirements (Article 4). The Directive doesn't provide a clear explanation how the cost proportionality should be assessed. Within the project, the Czech methodology certified by the Czech Ministry of Agriculture was developed. Our approach is grounded in cost-benefit analysis and compared with alternative approaches, such as "new Leipzig approach".

Project:

Modification of payments for surface water withdrawals to increase the effectiveness of water uses in the Czech Republic

Technology Agency of the Czech Republic

IREAS, Institute for Structural Policy

1/2014–12/2015

Description:

In the Czech Republic, the permission to withdraw surface water is currently free of charge (and therefore overused) causes increasing ineffectiveness in water allocation. The emission of new permissions might be threatened; public water management is burdened with extra costs for the supply of water that is not used at the end. Project proposes introduction the payment for permitted amount of water (rather than factually withdrawn water) – to increase the effectiveness of allocation and to open the door for possible future permission transfers among water users. Within the project, the simulation micro-model was developed in order to analyse impacts of various types of the surface water payment modification.

Project:

Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) of conceptual model of price regulation in water supply

Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic

IREAS centrum, s. r. o.

9–11/2014

Description:

Over the last 25 years, regulations in water supply have steadily developed. In the 1990s, inter alia, waterworks in the Czech Republic were privatised,  approved by City Assemblies. Consequently, 5,900 water management companies and approximately 2,500 operators of various sizes, governance model and ownership structure were founded and currently act in the market. From the standpoint of individual municipalities, development characterized by significant heterogeneity can be observed. In many cases, the infrastructure is underfostered and even the control role of authorities, owners and operators are not sufficient. Within the Regulatory Impact Assessment, two different scenarios and the current state of regulation were examined.

The costs of proposed scenarios and their benefits were examined during the RIA performance. Considering all identified problems of the current situation and assessed proposal of their solution, a new alternative scenario was recommended. This scenario reinforces the Ministry of Agriculture´s role as well as cooperation with other departments, Government Office, Union of Towns and Municipalities, accomplished by establishment of a Cooperation Council.

The aim was to achieve the sustainability of Water main and Sewerage systems infractructure, creating sufficient reserves for continuous renewal of Water main and Sewerage systems, and ensuring high-quality, smooth and reliable supply of drinking water for customers and wastewater treatment at reasonable prices. 

Title:

Economic value of ecosystem services in the Eastern Ore Mountains

Ing. Ondřej Vojáček, Ph.D., Ing. Jiří Louda

Citation:

VOJÁČEK O., LOUDA, J.: Economic Value of Ecosystem Services in The Eastern Ore Mountains, E+M Ekonomie a management, 2015 – in print. ISSN 1212-3609

Title:

Assessing the economic value of ecosystem services in the Eastern Ore Mountains: using choice experiment

Ing. Ondřej Vojáček, Ph.D., Bc. Martin Kratochvíl

Landscape of Eastern Ore Mountains provides different ecosystem services whose economic value is not known. This makes difficulties when realizing the environmental policy. The aim of the paper is to introduce the first findings of the empirical research done in the Eastern Ore Mountains in the summer 2013. The research is focused on the determination of economic value of particular ecosystems specific for the eastern part of Ore mountains, specifically (i)the blooming meadows, (ii)the clearance cairns and (iii)streams. The choice experiment results indicate significant and positive willingness to pay for all attributes in question, that is people prefer preserving ecosystems in naturally kept conditions.

Citation:

VOJÁČEK, O. – KRATOCHVÍL, M. Assessing the economic value of ecosystem services in the Eastern Ore Mountains: using choice experiment. In ŠAUER, P. – ŠAUEROVÁ, J. (ed.). Environmental Economics, Policy and International Environmental Relations. Praha: Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, 2013, s. 165-172.

Project:

Economic analysis of the euthrophication problem at Orlik reservoir

The Biology Centre, Academy of Science of the Czech Republic

IEEP, Institue for Economic and Environmental Policy

10/2012–12/2013

Description:

Within large European project REFRESH, the IEEP team was responsible for the economic analysis of the euthrophication problem at Orlik water reservoir situated at Southern Bohemia. The analysis contains the cost-effectiveness evaluation of proposed measures for the phosphorus inflow reduction. Further, benefits derived from the water improvement were assessed based on the benefit transfer method. Proposed measures and results of the evaluation were consulted with key local stakeholders and distributional impacts on different economic sectors (main cost bearers and benefit receivers) were described as well.

VOJÁČEK, Ondřej; HEJZLAR, Josef; SLAVÍKOVÁ, Lenka; MACHÁČ, Jan; SMEJKAL, Tomáš; CUDLÍNOVÁ, Eva. Cost-effectiveness analysis report for the Vltava catchment, Czech Republic, including analysis of disproportionality.

Valuable nature in the Eastern Ore Mountains

Cíl 3/Ziel 3

Institut für ökologische Raumentwicklung (IÖR), Dresden and University of J. E. Purkyne in Usti nad Labem

2012–2014

Description:

This Czech-German project was concerned with the mapping of ecosystem services (i.e. utilities which result from the biological diversity and virgin ecosystems) in the Eastern Ore Mountains. Its aim was to quantify and introduce their value to inhabitants of the region and to discuss local instruments for further development or conservation. Within the project investigation, we managed to especially evaluate the esthetical values resulting from the existence of nature related mountain creeks, maintained clearance cairns and regularly mowed mountain meadows.

Project:

SE CLIMATE: A socio-economic analysis of climate change impact within the context of water management in the Czech Republic – the cost efficiency of water management services and instruments for their regulation

The Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic

Institute for Economic and Environmental Policy, University of Economics, Prague

2009–2011

Description:

Hydrological research (monitoring water quality and quantity, extreme phenomena – floods and drought) constitutes the basis for climate change impact research. It is concerned above all with the impact of future changes on the sustainable development of natural systems, water resources and water management services linked with water. With regard to the ambiguity of present calculations of climate change impacts on the water regime in the CR, the existing administrative and economic instruments have not been adjusted up to now. The discussions about their possible modification towards better flexibility are just beginning. The objective of the project, solved by T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute and IEEP, proposed to analyse both the hydrological and socio-economic impacts of climate change on water management in the CR. The main contribution of the project was its interdisciplinary approach to the issue.

More

information:

Website of the project