THE INVESTMENT EXPENDITURES ON ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AND WATER MANAGEMENT IN POLAND IN 2003–2017

Environmental protection and water management activities funding is not evenly distributed within the country. The individual voivodeships stand out from the rest. In terms of environmental protection, on average in the years 2003–2017, the highest expenditures per capita was allocated by the Silesian Voivodeship with PLN 315.8 followed by Łódź and West Pomeranian Voivodeships. The lowest funding was in the Lublin Voivodeship (PLN 147.7 pc), Warmian-Masurian (PLN 158.6 pc) and Podlaskie (PLN 167.2 pc) (Tab. 1). The highest expenditures were in Świętokrzyskie in 2011 (PLN 624.15 per capita). In the analysed period, the lowest expenditures on environmental protection were spent in 2016 in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship (PLN 58.5 per capita) [1].

In comparison to environment protection, expenditures on water management were much lower. On average, the most investments were made in the Lower Silesian (PLN 119.5 pc), Lesser Poland (PLN 103.5 pc) and Opole (PLN 98.9 pc) Voivodeships (Tab. 1). In turn, the lowest expenditures on average in the years 2003-2017 amounted to PLN 35.1 per capita in the Łódź Voivodeship, to PLN 42.9 in Lublin and to PLN 46 in Podlaskie Voivodeships. Similarly to investments in environmental protection, also the lowest expenditures in water management were in 2016, which amounted to only PLN 15.14 per capita (Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship). The highest expenses for this purpose amounted to PLN 266.89 per capita in 2014 in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Interestingly, Łódź Voivodeship with the second place in terms of environmental protection expenditures in the analysed period spent the least funds on water management [1].

Expenditures on environmental protection and water management are divided into nine environmental domains as shown in Figure 2. In recent years three domains have played leading role within environment expenditures. The main funding area is wastewater management and water protection, which in 2003 made up over half of the environment expenditures. Over the years, more funds were directed to second and third leading domains: protection of ambient air and climate, and waste management.

There is a concern about low funding levels within other domains, like waste management, soil remediation or noise and vibration abatement. Moreover, since 2015, we can observe large decrease in the environment expenditures, which has significant impact on leading domains.

Apart from expenditures on particular environmental domains, it is worth noting the funding sources which include budget, private and foreign appropriations. Budget funds constitute central, voivodeships’, didtrict’s and communal resources. The amount of state budget funds is determined annually in the budget act. The expenditures on municipal economy and environment protection in 2019 are planned to reach PLN 1.5 billion (0.36% of total Poland expenditures), while income from that area is anticipated for PLN 4.47 billion [18]. That means that only one third of income from municipal economy and environment protection is dedicated again for this purpose in Poland.

Private sources in environment protection include own funds of investors from current funds or loans and credits derived from Bank Ochrony Środowiska (BOŚ), Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) and from commercial banks. A specific source of financing environmental protection tasks are ecological funds for environmental protection: the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW) and Provincial Funds for Environmental Protection and Water Management (WFOŚiGW) and Forest Fund. NFOŚiGW and voivodeship funds for environmental protection and water management were established on the basis of the Act of 27 April 1989 amending the act on protection and shaping the environment and the Act – Water Law [19, 20].

Expenditures on environment protection and water management during analysed period were mainly financed from national own funds (43.2%). Important role in supporting environment – protection projects in 2003 was played by Environmental Protection Funds (22.4%) and national credits and funds from abroad on similar level. However, after the accession to the EU, funds from abroad reached second place with share 13.55%, while Environmental Protection Funds share decreased to 9.2% (Fig. 3).

Figure 2.

Figure 3.

Attention should be paid to the amount of financing from abroad, especially during the pre-accession period. This was mainly due to the state of Polish environment, which required enormous resources to adapt it to the requirements of the European Union both in the field of environmental protection and water management. The next increase in funds in this area was after 2005 and is related to the adjustment periods set by the European Union covering water management and water protection [21].

Outlays on fixed assets include expenditures on, among others: purchase of land (including the right perpetual usufruct of land), buildings, premises and objects of civil engineering (construction and assembly works, design and cost estimate documentation), technical devices and machines, means of transport, tools, devices, movables and equipment whose aim is to obtain protective effects [22].

Basic areas of environment protection and water management in which the most investments in fixed assets were made were sewage and water management, air protection and waste management.

For both water and sewage management in 2003–2017, Poland’s expenditures reached almost PLN 74 billion, which accounts for 53.9% of total expenditures on environment protection. Almost 26% of expenditures was dedicated to air protection and 11.5% to waste management.

When analysing tangible effects of completed investments in sewage management, a significant decrease can be noted in 2016 and 2017. During the analysed period, the largest number of 193 sewage treatment plants were put into the use in 2003, just before Poland's accession to the European Union. Since then, the number of annual sewage treatment plants created would decreased and in 2017, it reached 21 (Fig. 4). In total, there were 1309 treatment plants in Poland, of which the largest number in Masovian Voivodeship (165), and the smallest one in Opole Voivodeship (28). The largest number of networks were created in 2010 and 2011 (over 8,000 km per year). In total, in the years 2003–2017 88026 km of sewage systems were commissioned for use, of which over 10000 km in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, and only 1960 km in the Podlasie Voivodeship.

Figure 4.

In contrast to sewage systems, the largest number of water supply networks was created in 2003 and 2004. There has been created 75095 km of water systems, the most of which in the Masovian Voivodeship and the least in Opole. Higher growth rate of sewerage systems in relation to water supply systems can be explained by the length of networks already built. In 2003, the percentage of residents connected to the water supply network was 85.1%, whereas for sewage systems only 57.4% and for the most part they were networks located in urban areas. In 2017, these ratios amounted to 92% for waterworks and 70.5% for sewage systems.

In addition to the aforementioned water systems, the number of pump stations on collapse and depression cone areas, water reservoirs and flood embankments is also included to the water management (Fig. 5). During 14 years, 141 water reservoirs with total capacity of 164.8 million m³ were commissioned for use in Poland. Most facilities were commissioned in 2004 (23) and in 2003 (18). The largest investment in recent years was the reservoir located in the Silesian Voivodeship, the capacity of which amounted to over 51 million m³. On the other hand, the smallest investments were made in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, where 6 small reservoirs with a total capacity of only 15759 m³ were built. In the case of pump stations on collapse and depression cone areas conceived in 2003–2017 in Poland, 115 were created, among which the largest number in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship (22). In the case of flood embankments during the analysed period annual arise from 1.5 km of embankments in 2017 to 19.2 km in 2014, was recorded. In 2003–2017 most flood embankments were created in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship (555 km), while the least in the Podlaskie Voivodeship (2.1 km).

Figure 5.

Figure 6.

Figure 7.

With regards to fixed assets in the air protection, the analysis applies the pollutants reduction capabilities of installed devices and systems. There is a division into particulates and gases pollutants, from which the highest new systems reduction was achieved in 2004 in the case of particulates (reduction capability almost 550 000 t/y), and in 2008 in the case of gas pollution systems with reduction capability over 800 000 t/y (Fig. 6). The most investments in particulates pollution reduction systems were made in Lower Silesia Voivodeship (in total 641 163 t/y in 2003–2017), while almost 100 times fewer in West Pomeranian Voivodeship (6776 t/y). Regarding the gas pollution reduction systems, most investments were opened in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (746 168 t/y), and the fewest in Podlaskie Voivodeship with only 120 t/y of reduction capabilities.

Fixed assets in waste management are measured using the amount of waste disposal facilities and their capacity. It can be noticed clearly higher dynamics in the first years after accession to the EU, when more than 15 waste disposal facilities were put into service each year (Fig. 7). However, during the whole analysed period, the capacity of these facilities was at the similar level and amounted on average to almost 1.8 million t/y, except for 2007, when 12 facilities with a total capacity of nearly 14.5 million t/y were built. The largest facilities were created in 2007 in the Łódź Voivodeship, with a total capacity of 14.15 million t/y.