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SLOVAKIA: state-of-play in MAES and natural capital accounting

On May 14, 2014 workshop “Ecosystem services – their mapping and evaluation in Slovakia” was held in Bratislava. Its main aim was to present ongoing activities on MAES at local/regional levels and to discuss possible ways how to proceed in meeting target 2 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020 at the national level. Over 45 experts took part. Presentations are available (mainly in Slovak language) on http://www.minzp.sk/sekcie/temy-oblasti/ochrana-prirody-krajiny/ekosystemove-sluzby/. 

On September 10th, 2014 Government of the Slovak Republic approved Action Plan on implementation of the Updated National Strategy for Biological Diversity by 2020. Document includes several activities on MAES, it is available in Slovak on http://www.minzp.sk/files/oblasti/ochrana-prirody-a-krajiny/biodiverzita/1_vlastny_ap-biod_aug_2014.pdf.

Following previous meetings with relevant institutions the working group on MAES in Slovakia (“MAES-SK”) was established from experts and representatives from various sectors of state and scientific institutions (agriculture, forestry, water, nature conservation, climate, geology, etc.). Its first meeting was on August 6th, 2014 and second on September 12th, 2014. The aim of the working group is methodological coordination of the work to fulfil the goals on the national level outgoing from the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020 (mapping of ecosystems, inventory of ecosystem services etc.).

Furthermore, expert workshop “Ecosystem services: assessments and beyond” was held in Bratislava on Oct 22nd, 2014. Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic organised it in cooperation with European Environment Agency. More than 18 participants from a range of areas, including academic institutions, Slovak Environment Agency, State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic took part. The main objective of the workshop was to provide an update on research on the assessment of ecosystem services. Three case studies were presented: “Ecosystem services of inland waters in the Slovak Republic – results to date”; “Ecosystem services in research of the Institute for Landscape Ecology, Slovak Academy of Science” (assessments of rural-urban areas and agricultural land used in a traditional way); and “Ecosystem services: institutions and policies”. The workshop was followed by a discussion on further directions and cooperation in the assessment of ecosystem services in Slovakia.

We would like to note that ecosystem services are important also for the work of the other international conventions, e.g. Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, as it was discussed on the 8th European Ramsar Meeting in Austria (October 2014), where SK took part and actively involved.

Publication

Value of ecosystems and their services in Slovakia (2020) collective of State Nature Conservancy, Slovak Academy of Sciences and Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra), summary in English p. 141-142. A comprehensive biophysical and monetary assessment based on the quality of Slovak ecosystems/habitats and their degradation rate

1. Create a detailed map and geodatabase of ecosystems in Slovakia

  • identifies individual ecosystems and their spatial distribution, status, and selected properties, used GIS analytical tools to combine datasets, contains 1 033 905 polygons
  • respective research article (in English): Ecosystems in Slovakia (Černecký & collective, 2019)

2. Evaluate the potential and production of Slovak ecosystems to provide 11 regulatory, 10 provisioning and 2 cultural ES by using modified Burkhard potential matrixes

3. Assign economic value to individual ecosystems in EUR/ha/year by the Value Transfer method according to prices in Frélichová et al. (2014)

National ecosystem services assessment in Slovakia & Catalogue of ES Research article in One Ecosystem: National ES assessment in Slovakia (Mederly, Černecký & collective, 2020) Catalogue of Ecosystem Services in Slovakia - Slovak version (Mederly, Černecký & collective, 2019), summary in English p. 189-190, Catalogue of Ecosystem Services in Slovakia - English version (Mederly & Černecký, 2020)

  • the catalogue defines and describes 18 ES in three groups that were selected (5 provisioning, 10 regulatory/maintenance and 3 cultural ES)
  • principal result: assessment of the national landscape’s capacity for ES provision (18 selected ES) based on evaluation of the landscape units and selected properties and indicators at the ecosystem level.

Projects

  • IP LIFE 2020-2030: Role of the Natura 2000 network and management of some prioritized habitats in the integrated landscape protection of the Slovak Republic ACTION C7 - Evaluation of socio-economic benefits and ecosystem services of Natura 2000 framework (7 deliverables)
  • ESMERALDA - associated partner 2017-2018

The current state of ecosystem accounting

  • Key setting point - a proposal for regulation amending Regulation (EU) No 691/2011 on European environmental economic accounts → might lead to mandatory reporting of ecosystem accounts (extent + ecosystem services) from 2025
    • Other envisioned usage: ecosystem accounts might help to expand a definition of the net wealth of the country under the Constitutional Act no. 493/2011 Coll. regarding budgetary responsibility; implementation of outputs into planning, decision-making and policy processes
  • Ongoing close cooperation between the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Finance, National Statistical Office
  • Current goals: establishment of pilot accounts (extent, condition, capacity) and their monetization
    • needs to be further elaborated: methodological base for measurement and valuation of ES supply and use, overall balance, trade-offs and synergies