Ecology

In the lasts seven years, about two fifths of respondents have visited protected landscape areas and national parks in the CZ more than once (41 %) and about a third have visited them once (32 %). Information about nature on placards, notice boards or leaflets located in these areas is always read by 26%, and mostly by 57 % of respondents. These respondents predominantly give the quality of information a positive evaluation – only for 26 % is the information too specialised, detailed and incomprehensible.

In the survey implemented in the fist half of October, opinions and standpoints of the population regarding the issues of protected landscape areas and national parks in the CZ were explored for the needs of the Czech ecological Institute. Citizens, with some exceptions, do not doubt the importance of protected landscape areas and national parks for nature protection (97 %). A half of respondents think that villages and towns located in protected areas manage to exploit the opportunities, which these localities offer them; this is for example, the possibility of making a profit from tourism (51 %).

The problems in question are considered by an absolute majority of respondents to be very or quite serious. As the largest threat they see pollution of sources of drinking water and its shortage; moreover the problem of waste cumulating is similarly seen as serious. These phenomena, directly connected with every day life are perceived by 55% - 56% of respondents as extremely important and by another third as considerably important.

Respondents see the behaviour of firms and enterprises towards the environment as definitely the worst (82 % “bad”). It is followed by the situation of sanctioning those harming the environment and the non-ecological behaviour of the population–both are criticised by about three quarters of respondents. Approximately two thirds (68 %) see the extent of logging in this country as excessive. Moreover, almost two thirds (63 %) consider appropriation of natural areas during constructions to be too large.

From the point of view of caring for the environment, citizens value best their local or municipal authorities (56 % well, 27 % badly). Moreover, the work of the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic is appreciated (49 % good work, 37 % bad work) as well as the work of ecological organisations as a whole (46 % good work, 26 % bad work). Opinions on the ecological policy of the government are relatively level, with 39 % positive judgments and 43 % negative.