Water saving grants take shape at environment ministry
A new programme of grants to encourage local councils and individuals to save water is being pieced together by the Ministry of Environment with an eye towards the likelihood of lower rainfall and more volatile climate patterns in the future.
Inspired by an existing programme, Green Saving, aimed at encouraging households to install more environment friendly and efficient boilers and stoves to curb pollution and curb climate change, the ministry is now turning its gaze towards water saving. Ideas are also being taken from Israel, which has longed faced up to the problems of husbanding its water resources against the background of an expanding population and economy.
So far, a few hundred million crowns have been tentatively earmarked for the programme which could take off as early as Spring next year. The idea is that smaller district councils could first be offered grants with individuals following on their heels soon after. The grants could, for example, be used to buy containers for rain water, to build ponds, or for water efficient equipment. The overall target is to economize on mains water whatever possible.
The programme, so-called Blue Saving, has been given impetus by the drought in the summer of 2015 which resulted in wells in some towns and villages running dry. And there are signs that the Czech Republic could well be facing a drought and water shortages again this year after a relatively dry Spring and shortfall of snow over the Winter.
A study for the government has already warned that the Central European country will as a result of climate change encounter lower snowfall in winter and more variable weather patterns over the whole year with the likelihood of less overall rainfall but more violent storms.
Hundreds of millions of crowns are already being directed in existing programmes for farmers and forestry companies. These are mainly targeted though at combatting the effects of soil erosion on valuable farmland and the landscape. Around 10 billion is already being given for such purposes to 2020.
Many of the details of the future programme still have to be settled, for instance whether the State Environment Fund will take the lead of share responsibility for handing out grants or will do hand in hand with regional governments.
The news comes against the background of reports that Prague water charges are some of the highest in Europe and reports that many of the private companies providing services have not over the past years have not invested sufficient amounts in maintaining and improving their networks.
