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Description
The project promoter is dedicated to active participation in the protection of drinking groundwater in Slovakia. The organization was founded as a public response to the alarming state of pollution and threat to the largest groundwater reservoir in Europe in the locality of Žitný ostrov. The aim of this project is to address the interests of groundwater protection through advocacy at the national and local level, in particular with the responsible government institutions. The project promoter will prepare 4 initiatives with the intention to participate in and watchdog the state''s actions in groundwater protection, to collect data and to inform and involve the public and also the media. At the same time, on the basis of the data and experience gained, it will submit to the Ministry of Environment a proposal for a new law to create an electronic information system on the status, use and protection of water and start building a platform for cooperation between all relevant actors.
Summary of project results
The most important output of the project is the three policy proposals, which are based on the results of research (sampling) and work on topics throughout the project. Water monitoring has shown that drinking water sources do not carry out a comprehensive survey of the pesticides used and may enter the drinking water unnoticed. The first proposal was therefore a proposal to streamline the monitoring of pesticide use in Slovakia for Ministry of work and social affairs. Further work showed that there are about 100 sources of water contamination in the territory of Bratislava, while the monitoring network of Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute is insufficient. The third proposal was the elaboration of a draft law on the tightening of protection zones of strategic water resources sent to the Ministry of the Environment. Today, these protection zones are being systematically stopped by developers, which makes it impossible to use water for future generations.
As part of the new campaign "Quality of the water we drink", a survey of contamination of drinking and groundwater in critical localities - old loads throughout Slovakia - was carried out. Using water analyzes, we have demonstrated the negative impact of old loads in Bratislava, Demänova dolina and Zemplín on water quality and population health. At the same time, we pointed out the absence of an information system that would provide water companies and citizens with information on water quality in these localities. Based on these findings, we prepared a proposal for a multisectoral information system on water status and use.
The civic association thus actively contributed to the development of public policies at the local, regional and national levels, which in their activities are based on real, measurable and high-quality data. It has thus contributed to the improvement of forthcoming public policies, legal norms and public decisions and has filled the gaps where the government does not perform well. Through its activities and press releases, the civic association has also complemented the work of independent media to provide critical feedback on social events and governance.