Local “sustainable development” programs build democracy in four ways: (1) institutional capacity building, (2) opening opportunities for further public participation in the local governance process, (3) multi-level networking, and (4) social capital development. These venues can be utilized through two complementary approaches currently being used in Central Eastern Europe (CEE) and are elaborated to show their utility for developing democracy in local communities. CEE case studies from PĂşchov, Slovak Republic and Martin, Slovak Republic illustrate the validity of these assertions and outline a complementary, integrated approach that offers a flexible framework of tools. This combination of methodologies from environmental management and community development spheres simultaneously facilitates the achievement of a more ecologically sustainable and actively democratic character in communities. Hence, this combined approach offers an effective tool for communities to truly “develop” in a balanced way and, more significantly, to improve their ability and opportunities to choose their future. continue… »

In 1993 the Slovak Government planned to create another water supply resource by building of the 700 litres per a second capacity dam with total costs amounting to 200 million USD. However, the dam would threaten the existence of five over 700-year old historical communities. continue… »

In recent years, we witness the incidence of a growing number of, often inexplicable, natural phenomena and disasters. Most of those phenomena remain unexplained, generaly accepted as a fact that simply had to occur. continue… »

I would like to contribute to the recently discussion about Water management policy and Dams, and add few details about my own encounters with this man, as I was included into the discusions, and readers probably do not know many concrete facts, concerning the works of “Slovak Water management state company”. continue… »

This document originated as an alternative suggestion for discussion of the World Climatic Changes. continue… »

The industrialisation of natural ecosystems causes permanent destruction of the fresh water from the continents and its accumulation in the oceans. There is also a fall of water from the atmosphere what increases the intensity of sun emission. continue… »

Seeing something once surely serves much better than reading or hearing it even one hundred times. That’s why indstead of long stories about People and Water members (familiarly called Goblins) we’d like to present some of our own pictures. continue… »

Robo Zvara often takes his camera along with him and enjoys taking a pictures, from time to time. So, here you can see results. continue… »

On the basis of long-term analyses, we submit here the prognosis of the state of water in Slovakia with all its impacts both on the state of environment, and natural production material including socio-economic environment in Slovakia to the year 2000. continue… »

We could trust in ourselves as well as in our work as much as we want, still being praised is something we would always enjoy. Plus, a praise given from a well-known celebrity is always accompanied with his/her star-dust falling down. And when such a celebrity decides to come and visit, it is a weighty reason to celebrate. In summer of 1998 Michal Kovac, former president of Slovak Republic, visited the Regional Information Center in Nizne Repase.