The Supreme Audit Office of The Supreme Audit Office of the Czech Republicthe Czech RepublicDepartment of Environment and AgricultureDepartment of Environment and Agriculture

Biological Diversity as an Audit Subject for the Supreme Audit OfficePrague 14. 10. 2004

Why continue to audit biodiversity ?Why continue to audit biodiversity ?What to focus on ?What to focus on ?The answer: Alarming biodiversity numbers

in the Czech Republic and in OECD Europe

OECD Czech Republic

Threatened species mammals 3 – 71% 33%

birds 8 – 56% 56%

amphibians 20 - 100% 95%

Source: OECD data 2004

Other Indicators Related to Other Indicators Related to Biodiversity in the Czech RepublicBiodiversity in the Czech Republic

Water water withdrawal 12% of gross annual availability percentage of population connected to public WWTP 70%

Protected areas total area 16% (2% national parks, 13% landscape protected

areas, 1% small protected areas)

Build up area more than 10% the whole area

Agriculture nitrogenous fertilisers use 9,2 t/sq km of agricultural land pesticides use 0,11 t/sq km Source: OECD data 2004

increase of organic farming during last 10 years from 0,4%

to 5.5% of agricultural land

% GDP had increased to 2,4% in 1997 but have been decreasing

since then. Now it is below 2%Source: Czech Statistical Office data 2004

International commitments CR has ratified majority of multilateral agreements

Ways of dealing with indicated Ways of dealing with indicated problemsproblems

CR has updated the State environmental policy connected with:

– the 6th Action Programme for the Environment of the EU

– the OECD environmental strategy for the first decade of the 21. century

– the EU Strategy for Sustainable Development

Accession to the EU forced CR to take necessary

measures required by Acquis Communautaire in all sectors

Preserving BiodiversityPreserving Biodiversity

The targets of the updated State policy in the area of biodiversity are divided into two groups:

Land ecosystems Aquatic ecosystems

LandLand ecosystemecosystemss

Negative impacts: Intensive agricultural and forestry

productionAbandoning of traditional agricultural areasUnsuitable urbanisation Invasive species of flora and faunaUnsuitable structure of selected wood

species

ObjectivesObjectives

Declaration of locations of the NATURA 2000 Implementation of rescue programs Improvement of the territorial system of

ecological stability Creation of bio-corridors

Aquatic ecosystems and Aquatic ecosystems and their their restorationrestoration

Negative impacts: Regulation of river courses Construction of new waterways and dams Pollution caused by intensive agriculture

production Intensive fish breeding

ObjectivesObjectives

Implement protection and sustainable use of water sources and wetlands in the context of economic pressures and global changes

Adopt the principle of sustainable management in the area of water policy with incorporation into sectoral policies

Adopt a methodology for selection of aquatic biotopes suitable for renewal

Initial Audit Experience Concerning Initial Audit Experience Concerning BiodiversityBiodiversity

The audit

State budget funds earmarked for environmental protection

was included in annual plan 2001

basic areas: State program of Care for the Landscape NATURA 2000 system

(both of regularity and performance audit)

State Program of Care for the LandscapeState Program of Care for the Landscape

Project of conservation and improvement of natural values in protected territories and with maintenance of ecological balance

Total sum 14 mil. Euro /conversion from CZK/ for 2 years Audit´s findings – suitable preconditions were not created

for effective and economic use of budgetary means Positive outcome – significant increase in the activities of

the intersectoral commission lead to a complex approach to dealing with the individual locations

Audit of the NATURA 2000 systemAudit of the NATURA 2000 system

Specification of target species and types of natural habitats and provisions for their mutual interconnection

Preparation of a national list of territories of special

protection as a part of system of protected territories of the EU - 15% of the area of the Czech Republic

Audit´s findings – part of allocated financial means were utilized for other projects different from NATURA system

Positive outcome – adjustment of budgetary expenditures in the following years

The Current approach to The Current approach to Biodiversity AuditsBiodiversity Audits

The projects of aquatic ecosystems and renewal of aquatic biotopes were dominated, among audit topics, on the base of evaluating information

Two audits were included in the annual plans 2003 and 2004 :

The River System Restoration Program

Ecological Projects and Measures in the River Basin of the Dyje (Thaya) River

The River System Restoration ProgramThe River System Restoration Program

Program is concerned with renewal of the natural environment disturbed by human activity (started in 1992)

Main goal is to improve the water regime in the landscape and systematically increase biological diversity

The audit was intended to : assess economy and effectiveness of use of the

financial means find out whether a complex evaluation of the individual

stages of the Program was achieved Final report was completed in October 2004

AuditAudit findings findings

Programme formation and its execution (6 sub-programmes) Programme priorities and their financing Programme management Assessment of specific sub-programmes Assessment of the recipients

Necessary measuresNecessary measures

Ministry of Environment State clear objectives corresponding with the individual stages of the Programme Finance sub-programmes according to the Programme priorities Assess the ecological effect of individual projects

Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection of the CR Improve the use of river-restoration studies Continue to monitor specific projects after their completion

Recipients Supply complete cost reports throughout the whole process Transparent tender selection

Ecological Projects and Measures in the Ecological Projects and Measures in the Dyje River BasinDyje River Basin

Projects are focused mainly on improvement of water quality and biodiversity, e.g. waste water treatment plants, sewage systems, bio-corridors and nature conservation

The basic audit target consisted of evaluation of the usefulness and economy of the use of financial means in the Dyje watershed

The audit, which was carried out as a concurrent audit with SAI Austria, included these topics: Water protection Nature conservation Bilateral cooperation between the Czech Republic and

Austria

Scope of AuditScope of Audit

Water protection – audit of monitoring of water quality, evaluation of the usefulness and economy of measures, compliance with relevant EU Directives

Nature conservation - audit of 3 E of means spent for nature conservation, fulfilment of international agreements related to biodiversity, management of the National park

Bilateral cooperation – audit of usefulness of the work of the Commission for water management on boundary water courses

Final national report was completed in September 2004, joint Czech-Austrian report is expected in June 2005

A typical view on Dyje meander

Audit findingsAudit findings

State Landscape Programmes – formation, execution, assessment

State Environmental Fund – 682 projects financed Natura 2000 – mapping, completion of the national list Cooperation between ministries (Environment and Agriculture) – water dam Nove mlyny Austrian co-financing – waste water treatment plants Bilateral cooperation – Czech-Austrian Commission for Border Waters – Czech-Austrian Commission for the National Park Podyjí-Thayathal

 

Necessary measuresNecessary measures

Ministry of Environment Evaluate ecological effects Finish mapping and declare the National list of NATURA 2000 to fulfill the National Development Plan 2004-2006 Harmonize internal regulations of both ministries in the area of water management Increase its responsibility for all projects financed in the framework of cross- border regional cooperation

State Environmental Fund Check sufficiently contracts between recipients and their suppliers Specify precisely ecological objectives in contracts with recipients

Thank you for your attentionThank you for your attention

For the purpose of

3rd meeting of the EUROSAI WGEA

Miroslav Kruchina Jana KoznarovaHead of Department of Environment Auditor from Department of and Agriculture Environment and Agriculture

SAO of the Czech Republic