Description
Monitoring of the environment in Slovakia is in general considered to be the role of the state authorities. Citizens do not search for results of this monitoring, nor do they participate in collecting and evaluating data. Citizens often do not know how to influence the state of their local environment. The goal of the project is to encourage the participation of young people in both monitoring the quality of community environment and developing bio-profiles of Slovak towns and villages. As a result of the project the dialogue between local government, general public, and NGOs will be improved. 2000 young people shall get involved in public issues as well as in decision-making processes and the bio-profiles of the involved towns and villages will be mapped.
Summary of project results
The environment in Slovakia is monitored by state authorities. However, citizens, including young people, do not look for information about the monitoring results, neither they participate in collecting and evaluating data. Monitoring often does not include local environments, surveying only larger territorial units. Citizens do not know how to influence the state of their local environment and they rarely present their opinions to local governments. Even more seldom they make any proposals regarding measures which would mitigate or eliminate local environmental problems. Thanks to the purchase of aiding tools, and the development of both methodologies and an interactive webpage, the project results will be sustainable, assuring inclusion of other children, young people and local governments. The objective of the project was to enable active participation of young people in both detecting the indicators of their community’s environment quality and developing bio-profiles of towns and villages of Slovakia. The objective was fully met. Within the horizon of 5 years, all Tree of Life Clubs will be involved in the project and both local government representatives and wider public will become familiar with it. The outcome of the project was to teach young people making a full use of their rights, based on which they would become interested in public issues and decision-making processes through (i) becoming involved in the process of detecting the indicators of the quality of the environment and (ii) active cooperation with local government. The outcome was fully met. Main outputs: 2,165 children and young people involved in public participation; 7 new communities, with new clubs, involved; and 46 local governments participated. Beneficiaries were involved mainly in the creation of bio-profiles of their regions,in acquiring indicators of the quality of their environments, also in an active communication with local government representatives.
Summary of bilateral results