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Beaver-built wetlands help retain water in drought-stricken landscapes, with a single beaver dam potentially saving the state or other landowners up to CZK 2 million, according to a study of ten Czech beaver wetlands conducted by the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague. The findings were announced on Tuesday by the Czech Nature Conservation Agency (AOPK ČR) and are consistent with research from Canada and England.

The agency says the benefits of beaver activity are particularly evident during the current heatwave and dry conditions. Along the Štěpánovický Stream near Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou, sections of the watercourse have dried up completely, while water remains in areas modified by beavers.

According to Aleš Vorel of the Czech University of Life Sciences, wherever beaver wetlands do not create serious conflicts, the animals perform valuable restoration work that would otherwise require costly planning and public funding. Destroying their dams, he added, can eliminate natural water-management measures worth millions of crowns that beavers created free of charge and may later have to be rebuilt at taxpayers' expense.

The Czech Foreign Ministry is reshaping its diplomatic network to better reflect the country's current priorities. It will close its Consulate General in Hong Kong on September 30, 2026, and open a new Consulate General in Miami the following day.

The ministry is also preparing to open an embassy in Muscat, restore its diplomatic presence in Caracas and strengthen consular capacity in Dubai.

The closure of the Hong Kong consulate is primarily driven by economic reasons, with consular and visa services to be transferred to the Czech Embassy in Beijing. The ministry stressed that the move does not signal any change in the Czech Republic's policy towards Hong Kong or Macau.

The new consulate in Miami is intended to strengthen the Czech presence in a fast-growing region of the United States, support trade and investment, and improve services for Czech citizens. In the future, it is also expected to oversee a planned office in Austin, Texas.

The ministry is also reviewing the operation of other diplomatic missions, including those in Düsseldorf, Yangon, Luxembourg and Singapore, as part of an effort to shift resources to locations that better serve Czech interests.

Nearly three-quarters of Czechs consider climate change a serious issue, with 45 percent saying it requires urgent action, according to an exclusive NMS poll for Novinky.cz.  A majority of supporters of every political party except the governing Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) agree that climate change is a problem.

The survey found that nine in ten respondents acknowledge climate change as a real issue, while only seven percent deny it. According to NMS political analyst Tereza Friedrichová, the debate has shifted from whether climate change exists to how urgent it is and who should address it.

The highest share of climate change sceptics, 14 percent, was found among SPD voters, with another 29 percent describing it as a minor or exaggerated problem. Supporters of the Motorists party ranked second in climate scepticism.

Thursday should bring partly cloudy skies and rain in the afternoon hours. Day temperatures between 26 and 31 degrees Celsius.