Natural assets to protect
Slovakia, like Poland, has been particularly precocious in its concern to protect nature, not least because of the proximity of the Slovaks to their mountains. A geological strangeness, the Tatra mountain range rises up into a surreal vision of a long plain that surrounds the town of Poprad at dizzying heights (2,500 m above sea level over just 35 km in length and 17 km in width). The country boasts nine national parks, thirteen protected landscapes and a thousand protected areas, covering around 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 and safeguard ecosystems and biodiversity. The majority of Slovakia's national parks are in mountainous areas, and the most recent, the Grandes Fatras National Park (Veľká Fatra), was created in 2002. The Low Tatras National Park (Nízke Tatry) is the country's largest, established in 1978. Pieniny is the smallest park, but 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'll find it all here. One of the most impressive hikes is the Hedlo Hornádu canyon in the Slovak Paradise, where you walk on iron ladders. The resort of Jasna, in the Low Tatras, is equipped to welcome skiers in winter and hikers and cyclists in summer.
All these protected natural areas are home to a rich biodiversity. Bears are Slovakia's flagship animal. While they were on the brink of extinction in the mid-twentieth century, rigorous protection measures (banning hunting, regulating logging and entry into areas frequented by bears) have led to a spectacular rise in their population. There were an estimated 1,200 in 2016. In some localities, they leave their natural habitat to seek food in towns, which is not always without danger. The high-altitude coniferous forests are also home to a large population of wolves, the European rarity lynx, wildcats, chamois, marmots, woodpeckers, squirrels, bullfinches, crossbills, capercaillie, deer, hares, black storks and black partridges. Slovakia is an ideal destination for birdwatching. There are woodpeckers, night birds such as the Ural owl, and screech and pomarine eagles. The Raptor Protection of Slovakia association manages The Protected Bird Area (CHVÚ) Sysľovské Polia, a few kilometers from Bratislava. It is home to some rare species, including Europe's largest flying bird, the Great Bustard.
Air quality, waste: can do better
Slovakia ranks among Europe's worst performers in terms of air quality. In 2018, citizens, environmental associations EPTA, ClientEarth, VIA IURIS and cycling support association Cyclokoalicia took legal action against the city of Bratislava, as air quality measurements regularly exceeded national and European standards. The regional court ordered the city to improve. Low-emission zones may soon be introduced in certain parts of the city. In any case, soft mobility is on the increase: shared bikes have been deployed in the capital. On the waste management front, too, there's room for improvement. In 2018, the Court of Justice of the European Union condemned Slovakia for its delay in implementing EU law on the landfilling of waste.
Zuzana Čaputov, who will be elected president in March 2019, has made a name for herself for having fought, as a lawyer, alongside the VIA IURIS association, against the creation of a huge landfill in Pezinok, on the outskirts of Bratislava. A victorious battle that led to the cancellation of the landfill's building permit in 2013.
On the way to change?
In order to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement, Zuzana Čaputová, the new president elected on a pro-environment platform, announced that coal mines in the Nitra region would be gradually closed by 2027. However, the majority of Slovakia's electricity comes from nuclear power, much to the dismay of environmental groups. The planned commissioning of the third and fourth reactors at the Mochovce power plant is drawing the wrath of environmentalists not only here, but also in Austria, just a hundred kilometers away. One of the country's major ecological challenges is also the fight against logging in national parks, a major battle-horse of the WOLF association(www.wolf.sk). In any case, the country has found a way to improve its roads while at the same time remedying its recycling problems. Last year, the first road made from recycled plastic was inaugurated in the Lučenec region. Granules created from PET bottles and plastic packaging are used to create the road surface. Other similar projects are planned throughout the country.
Agritourism
Slovakia offers a wide range of agritourism options for nature lovers and green sports enthusiasts: horse ranches, farms with homemade products and fish farms can all be discovered in the Bratislava and Trnava regions. Around 20 km from the center of the capital, you can visit the Biofarma Príroda organic farm. This sheep farm supplies its owners' restaurants and pubs with organic bread and cheese. Although organic farming is not yet highly developed in the country, it is gradually making the transition.
