For more than the last ten years, much has been done in the Śląskie Voivodeship in the scope of the environment and nature protection. The improvement in the environment quality is the result of the pro-ecological actions taken by the economic entities, self-governmental administration as well as by implementing the improvement plans, negotiated with the governmental administration, using the new technologies. 

The 1990s were the period of significant limitations in the amount of pollution given off to the environment as well as the intense actions taken for its improvement. The policy of introducing stricter requirements executed consistently in this period in relation to the environment pollution sources, the application of better quality fuels, restructuring process and the industry privatisation as well as limiting the production in the branches being the source of the highest pollution resulted in positive effects in the environment protection. The last years have been a further period of visible proofs indicating the maintenance of the advantageous trends.

 Air protection

Between 2000 and 2009, the following was reached in the region's large production plants:

• decrease in dust emission by over 70%
• decrease in gas emission:
  • sulphur dioxide: 45%
  • nitrogen oxides: 25%
  • carbon monoxide: 30%

Main changes take place in 2009 when the following value decreases
in pollution emission have been observed (in compare to 2008):

• Dust pollution emission by 17%
• Sulphur dioxide emission by 12%
• NOx by 4%
• Carbon monoxide by 26%
• and  Carbon dioxide by 11%

Pollution emission in thousands of tons:

• dust: 11,7
• gas (without CO2): 644,9 incl.:
  • sulphur dioxide: 83,4
  • carbon monoxide: 95,5
  • nitrogen oxides: 61,7

State air quality in the province of Silesia has caused the need for remedial programs by the Governor in 2003 and by the Province Government in 2010 and 2011.

more... (PL)

Silesia Region
Distribution of annual average concentrations of dust pollution in 2006

Silesia Region
Distribution of annual average concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene in 2006

Water protection

In the years 2000-2009 the water consumption for the economy and the national population has decreased from 668.8 hm³ in 2000 to 477.3 hm³ in 2009 is by about 29%.

In the years 2000-2009 the number of industrial and municipal waste water requiring treatment discharged into waters or into the ground decreased from 439.4 hm 3 in 2000 to 369.8 hm 3 in 2009, and since 2003 has not exceeded 370 hm3. In the period observed increase in the share of industrial wastewater in the total emissions of 53% in 2000 to 59% in 2009 and a decrease in municipal, respectively from 47 to 41%

In the years 2000-2009 was observed 15% increase in the share of treated wastewater in the biological treatment of elevated removal of nutrients. Approximately 14% of waste from land province was discharged without treatment

In 2009, in Silesia Voivodeship was removed to surface 150 hm3 municipal sewage, including 96% purified. Exploited 8 treatments of mechanical, 132 biological, 85 of increased removal of nutrients. About 96% of the effluent discharged sewage network purified biologically, including 81% of sewage with increased removal of nutrients. In the years 2002-2009 the percentage of population using from wastewater treatment plants in relation to the total number population in the province rose from 64.5 to 70.5%, and in 2009 was 82% in urban and rural areas 28%.

More information is available in the "Environmental Protection Programme for Silesia until 2013 with a perspective up to 2018" (PL)

Source: Environmental Protection Inspectorate in Katowice

Waste management

Industrial waste generated in the are the dominant economic waste stream produced in the region, which results with a high degree of industrialization of the region. In recent years, a systematic reducing the amount of industrial waste, which is related to the ongoing restructuring process industry, conduct rational waste management, including the use of technology limiting the amount of waste generated. At the same time the vast majority of this waste is directed to use (recovery).

Recovery was 93.3% of waste generated. This was more waste than in previous years. Neutralized by storage 1.9% of the industrial waste, 1% were stored temporarily, and 3.9% waste were produced for other forms of disposal (f.ex. in the process of thermal conversion).

In 2009 in the Silesia province received property owners of 1.28 million Mg of municipal waste. This is 1.6% more than in 2008.

Over 90% of municipal waste collected went to the landfill, and only 10% waste sent to sorting and composting.

Approximately 70% of gminas implemented a system of selective waste collection. Waste selectively collected in 2009 were 8.8% of municipal solid waste. Among them the largest the amount of biodegradable waste are - 24%, glass - 22%, and bulky waste - 22%, further the waste paper and plastics.

Waste management of the economic sector in the Silesia Region in 2008

Source: Environmental Protection Inspectorate in Katowice

More information is available in the "Environmental Protection Programme for Silesia until 2013 with a perspective up to 2018" (PL) 

Soil protection

• developing the methods for brown field areas regeneration
• successive limitation of the ground surface pollution
• degraded land reclamation
• non-agricultural land foresting