Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship

Region

official name: Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship (common name: Warmia and Mazury)
Unit of administrative division of Poland, one of 16 voivodeships. The region is located in the north-eastern part of the country. It covers an area of 24,173.47 km² and has a population of approximately 1.36 million inhabitants. The seat of the voivodeship self-government authorities is the city of Olsztyn (with 170 thousand inhabitants).
Environmental assets of Warmia and Mazury consist of huge number of lakes and vast area of forests – key to the region’s economy – both for production purposes and tourism potential.
Warmia and Mazury region has four smart specializations specified in the strategy of regional development:

• wood and furniture;
• high quality food;
• water economy;
• healthy life.

Institution

Office of the Marshal of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship in Olsztyn

Political Representative

Ms. Maria Bąkowska – Member of the Board of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship, responsible among others for the environment
Mr. Marcin Kuchciński – Marshal of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship

Description Environmental Challenges of the Region

• finding a right balance between environment protection and economic growth
• adaptation to climate change effects: higher temperatures, less precipitation, longer periods of drought and extreme weather phenomena as well as long periods of heat waves troublesome especially in cities
• water retention and maintaining drinking ground water and underground water resources
• air pollution prevention

• Description ENCORE History / ENCORE Engagement

• 2008 – Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship joining ENCORE
• 2008-2012 – Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship as a co-chair of ENCORE
• 2009 (September 23-26) – organization of the ENCORE Steering Group ministers meeting in Ryn. Topics covered: ENCORE 2010 conference preparation, European Network of Culinary Heritage.
• 2010 (June 10-12) – organization of the 9th ENCORE conference in Olsztyn. Topics covered: climate change, biodiversity and natural food. Venue: University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. Participants: over 220 people representing 43 regions from 16 European countries: Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Ireland, Great Britain, Finland, Italy, France, Belgium, Austria, Greece, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Ukraine and Poland. 29 regional ministers responsible for environmental protection were present.
• 2010 (September 29) – organization of the meeting with the European Commissioner for Environment Janez Potočnik in Brussels. ENCORE delegation: Warmia and Mazury, Scotland, Utrecht, Drenthe and the Basque Country.
• 2012 (April 19-21) – organization of the Steering Group meeting in Elbląg. Topics covered: results of the meeting with the European Commissioner for Climate Connie Hedegaard, cooperation with other networks and organizations, preparation of the next ENCORE conference.
• 2012-2014 – Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship responsible for the General Secretariat of the network.
  Currently, the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship is a member of the ENCORE Steering Group.

Description of actual flagship projects

Project co-financed from the EU funds:
“Raising the standard of the technical base and equipment of landscape parks in the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship”
The project aimed to build infrastructure organizing tourist traffic and promoting the natural and landscape values of the voivodeship, as well as equipping organizational units of the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship – landscape parks – and adapting their premises to implement educational programs and exhibitions in the field of ecology.
“Active protection of the rare amphibian and reptile species on the Natura 2000 sites in Europe”
The strategic goal of the project is to improve the protection of the European swamp turtle Emys orbicularis and fire-bellied toad Bombina bombina in the five Natura 2000 areas in Poland and Denmark.
https://pkpr.life17.pl/en
“Active protection of endangered habitats and species in valuable natural areas of eastern Masuria”
The aim of the project is to effectively protect valuable and endangered groups of animals and habitats in the area of Eastern Masuria and to increase the ecological awareness of the society.
http://czynna-ochrona-mazury-wschodnie.pl/en/about-the-project/

ENCORE Steering Group Person or Team / Contact Details / Photo

Ms Hanna Wiśniewska – h.wisniewska@warmia.mazury.pl
Mr Marcin Proniewicz – m.proniewicz@warmia.mazury.pl