Podunajsko, a southwest region in Slovakia, might be declared a national park. (source: TASR - Dano Veselský )
The Bratislava Region (BSK) regrets the decision of Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba (SNS nom.) not declaring Podunajsko National Park in south-west Slovakia, along the country’s stretch of the Danube. But it hopes that the idea of its launch will not be abandoned, BSK spokesperson Lucia Forman told the TASR newswire.
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“We regret the decision of the current representatives of the Environment Ministry, but at the same time we understand that the creation of a lowland national park is unprecedented in Slovakia and a long-term discussion is needed across the wide range of affected entities and land owners,” Forman said.
She noted that the proposed national park area overlaps to a large extent with already protected areas of different levels, where nature protection is ensured and regulated by the region’s master plan and its binding regulations.
Respected environmentalist Mikuláš Huba of the Slovak Conservation Congress sees the decision of not declaring Podunajsko National Park very negatively. In his opinion, it will damage nature, the public interest of the Danube region inhabitants, and the reputation of Slovakia in the international context, as neighbouring countries have already declared national parks in Danube areas.
More than 30-year-old idea
The idea of creating Podunajsko National Park is more than 30 years old.
“The creation of a new national park was supported by the professional and lay public, as well as by directors of national parks from Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic,” said Forman. She added that Podunajsko National Park would create a link between the existing national parks in the country’s border area.
If created, Bratislava would become the second capital city in Europe, after Vienna, with a national park within the city limits. The proposal for Podunajsko National Park, intended to protect the Danube floodplain forests, would cover more than 21,000 hectares to the border with Austria and connect to the existing Donau-Auen National Park.
If declared, Podunajsko would be Slovakia’s only lowland national park. It would be the tenth national park in Slovakia. The intention of declaring this national park was presented by former environment minister Ján Budaj in January 2022.
Environment minister does not want any new national parks
Taraba rejects the idea of Podunajsko National Park.
“I have an absolutely negative opinion of the way they planned it and the way they were doing it. They did not communicate with anyone and they wanted to take over even the most fertile agricultural land,” Taraba said in late December. “So, nothing is being done about it (at the ministry) now.”
Taraba specified that his ministry would not establish any new national parks. It will manage those that already exist in Slovakia.
“We have more than Austria and yet they do not even meet basic international standards,” said Taraba in late December. “Zoning has made it so that national parks have no income and generate an annual loss of €24 million.”
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