KAZALCI OKOLJA

Environmental indicators in Slovenia


Environmental indicators are based on graphs, maps and assessments and as such present environmental trends in Slovenia. The indicators represent one of the four pillars of our environmental reporting, and are prepared in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act. The Environmental Indicators in Slovenia website enables users to browse among 180 indicators. They are based on numerical data and they indicate the state, characteristics and trends of environmental development in Slovenia. They are prepared using a systematic approach based on data and monitoring, as shown in the information pyramid.

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Good

The response of agricultural holdings to the agricultural policy and favourable market opportunities, which support the spreading of organic farming has been growing every year. The area intended for organic farming has increased in the period 1999–2022 from 2,400 ha to 53,202 ha, or from 0.5% to 11.1% of the total utilised agricultural area. The structure of agricultural land with organic farming is strongly dominated by grassland (79% in 2022), which shows that livestock farms more frequently convert to organic farming.

Neutral

In recent years, the amount of wastewater treated by secondary or tertiary treatment processes increased, while primary treatment processes have closed. The amount of wastewater treated through secondary treatment processes increased by 150 % since 2000 or from 30 million m3 (in 2000) to almoust 45 million m3 (in 2019). There were almost no tertiary wastewater treatment processes in Slovenia in 2000, and in 2019, 72% of wastewater or 113 million m3 of wastewater was treated by tertiary process.

Bad

The incidence of malignant mesothelioma is (still) not decreasing in Slovenia or elsewhere in the world. Given the long latent period of the disease, it is likely to increase in Slovenia, especially among the elderly. Amon youngsters we expect to decline. We have not yet removed all asbestos products from the work and living environment, so the risk factor for this disease still exists, not only for workers who work professionally with asbestos products and waste, but also for others.

Neutral

In Slovenia, 98.7% of surface water bodies are in good chemical condition. The two water bodies are in poor chemical condition due to the excess of metals. In general, Slovenian surface waters are not loaded with priority substances in the water, but they are loaded with too high concentrations of mercury and brominated diphenylethers in fish. These are ubiquitous pollutants that are excessively present in biota both in Slovenia and in Europe.

Neutral

Water protection areas cover 3532 km2 or 17,4% of Slovenia’s land surface in 2021. This is a slight increase, compared to 2017, but the goal of protecting the areas of all water sources for public water supply with a regulation on national level, has not been reached yet.

Neutral

In Slovenia, nutrient overloading is still the basic problem concerning lakes and reservoirs, and from 2006 to 2019, no improvement is observed. In the assessment period 2016–2019, only 4 out of 11 lake water bodies were determined to be in good or very good trophic status. Overloading of lakes with phosphorus is usually a result of inadequate wastewater drainage and intensive agriculture in the watershed area.