Recultivation in the Ústí-nad-Labem Region
Tomáš Gremlica
Summary: The Ústí nad Labem Region, located in the north-west of Bohemia, is one of the structurally affected regions, together with Karlovy Vary in southwest Bohemia and Moravia-Silesia in northern Moravia. After the social and economic transformation, they are experiencing low economic growth rates and lag significantly behind other regions of the Czech Republic in most socio-economic parameters.
Another serious problem is the high number of sites with old environmental burdens, such as the severe contamination of the ground and surface water, caused by the improper handling of hazardous substances coming from industrial and mining activity. Significant sources of air pollution include, among others, lignite-fired thermal power plants with an installed capacity of more than 100 MW, i.e. Ledvice, Komořany, Prunéřov, Tušimice II and Počerady, as well as the Trmice thermal power plant.
In addition to the very attractive Ore Mountains and the Bohemian Central Highlands with its dormant volcanoes, there are, among other things, five large and 182 smaller special protected areas, which together cover 28.2% of the region's total area, all compromised by various forms of pollution. Similar issues are reflected in the natural environment — sometimes a disaster, sometimes a reason for cautious optimism and sometimes “an earthly paradise.”
The article describes the various kinds of land recultivation taking place in the region and offers a look at the more effective processes in use.