The opening table gives an overview of all regions and districts of the Czech Republic. Data on areas of regions and districts as at 31 December 2002 have been derived from the Czech Office for Surveying, Mapping and Cadastre in Prague.

The size structure of municipalities (by population) was processed following the territorial self-governing arrangement in force on 31 December 2002. Municipality population figures were taken over from the statistical balance by municipality with projecting of results from Housing and Population Census 2001.

Data on climate are shown in basic meteorological figures measured at meteorological stations located in the territory of the region. These data were taken over from the Czech Institute for Hydrometeorology, Prague.

ENVIRONMENT

Act No. 114/1992 Coll., on Nature and Landscape Conservation distinguishes six categories of especially protected areas: national parks and protected landscape areas (referred to as large protected areas), national nature reserves, nature reserves, national nature monuments, and nature monuments (referred to as small protected areas).

Large protected areas:

• National parks – large areas unique on a national or international scale, whose major parts are occupied by ecosystems, either natural or affected little by human activity, where flora, fauna and inanimate nature are of extraordinary scientific and educational significance;
• Protected landscape areas – large areas with harmoniously shaped landscape, characteristic relief, a significant proportion of natural ecosystems of forest and permanent grass stands, a sizeable proportion of tree species and as the case may be, preserved monuments of historical settlements.

Small protected areas (SPA):
They are included in the category ”Other”, which is subdivided into four sub-categories, namely:

• National nature reserves – small-scale areas of extraordinary natural value, whose natural relief with a typical geological structure is tied with ecosystems significant at national and international levels;
• Natural reserves – small-scale areas of concentrated natural value with ecosystems typical of and significant for the given geographical area;
• National natural monuments – small-scale natural formations (including those formed by human activity), with deposits of minerals and habitats of endangered species in fragments of ecosystems of national or international environmental, scientific or aesthetic significance;
• Natural monuments – the same criteria as for national natural monuments apply. The significance is regional only.

Fixed assets acquired for environment protection are defined as separate structures and other investment measures designed to improve the current state of the environment. Environment protection projects include activities aimed at:

• Water pollution control (except ground water);
• Air pollution control and climate protection;
• Environment-friendly management of waste;
• Nature and land conservation;
• Reduction of impact of physical factors;
• Protection of soil and ground water.

Emission refers to a process of discharging xenobiotic substances of various states into the air. Emissions are given in terms of kilograms per hour or tonnes per year.

Specific emissions are emissions of pollutants per unit of time per unit of area or per capita.

The amounts of the given pollutants discharged into the air are listed in the Register of Emissions and Air Polluters (REZZO), which keeps records of the following types of polluters broken down by their thermal outputs:

• REZZO 1: includes stationary fuel-burning systems more than 5 MW in thermal output, plus systems operated in especially important technological processes. The systems classified to this group are referred to as ‘big polluters’;
• REZZO 2: includes technological systems incorporating stationery fuel-burning equipment whose thermal output ranges from 0.2 to 5 MW, equipment of important technological processes, and coal mines and similar areas, where burning, evaporating or escaping of pollutants is possible. This group is referred to as ‘medium-sized polluters’.
• REZZO 3: includes local technological systems with stationary fuel-burning equipment whose thermal output is lower than 0.2 MW (with the exception of local furnaces use in flats, residential and weekend houses), production process equipment not falling into the category of big and medium-sized polluters, areas work done can pollute the air, storage sites of fuel, raw materials, products, waste and captured emitted pollutants, and other facilities and activities polluting the air to a large extent. This group is referred to as ‘small polluters’.
• REZZO 4: mobile systems equipped with air-polluting combustion or other engines. This group includes especially road and rail motor vehicles, vessels and aircraft. It is referred to as ‘mobile polluters’. Since 1995, the balance has been including emissions of solid and sulphur dioxide pollutants from transport.

Data given in the tables on waste are derived from figures reported on CZSO questionnaire. Reporting units are enterprises with 20 employees or more, falling under the following headings by principal activity (CZ-NACE): 01, 10 - 41, 45, 5157, 55, 601, 602, 62, 642, 747, 7481, 851, 852, 90, 9211 and 93, since 2001 also 02 and 50.

This statistical information presents results obtained by processing statistical questionnaire Odp 5-01 “Statistical Questionnaire on Wastes”. The enterprises covered by the survey employed 20 + people and their principal activity classified them to CZ-NACE divisions/groups coded 01, 02,

10 - 36, 38 - 41, 45, 502, 55, 601 - 602, 62, 642, 747, 7481, 851 - 852, 9211, and 93. Furthermore, units with 5 + employees classified to CZ-NACE 37 (Recycling) and 5157 (Wholesale of waste and scrap) and units classified to CZ-NACE 90 (Sewage and refuse disposal, sanitation and similar activities), with no limit on the number of employees, were also included in the survey.

On 1 January 2002 a new Act No. 185/2001 Coll., on Waste and Amendments to Some Other Acts, as last amended, entered into force. The Act fully complies with waste management laws and regulations of the EU.

Waste is any movable thing its owner disposes of or intends to dispose of, which classified to a group of wastes listed in Annex No. 1 to Act No. 185/2001 Coll.

Hazardous waste is waste included in the List of Hazardous Waste given in the implementing regulation as well as any waste exhibiting one or more hazardous characteristics listed in Annex No. 2 to Act No. 185/2001 Coll.

Waste management refers to gathering, concentration, collection, purchase, sorting, transport, storing, treatment, use and disposal of waste.

The ways of waste management are divided into two groups, in compliance with the division according to the EU. They are:

• waste recovery – activities shown in Annex No. 3 to Act. No. 185/2001 Coll.; and
• waste disposal – activities shown in Annex No. 4 to Act. No. 185/2001 Coll.

A water supply and sewerage systems census (VaK2002) was held in 2002. The census was primarily aimed at getting, prior to the accession to the EU, overall information on all water supply and sewerage systems and on wastewater treatment plants used for public needs on the one hand and at improving the quality of data aggregates on these systems in the CR transmitted to national institutions and international organizations (Eurostat, OECD) on the other hand. The data were measured for the year 2001 or as at 31 December 2001 and the water rates and sewage collection charges were updated as at 1 September 2002.