EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - UNESCO World Heritage

Pre-proposal No 5 ADAPTATION TO AND MITIGATION OF ADVERSE WATER-RELATED IMPACTS IN VULNERABLE
SYSTEMS – ENHANCEMENT OF EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY OF ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
AND MEASURES UNDER UNCERTAINTY
Societal, economical and European relevance
The call line is relevant for European society and economy, since understanding the vulnerability and adaptability of natural and managed
eco- and water systems to climate change, evaluation and communication of uncertainty and levels of confidence of adaptation strategies is
a crucial issue for the development of credible decision support resources. A basic requirement for achieving this goal is the development of
frameworks for integrating the natural, technical and social science information necessary for multiple-objective decision making. Indeed,
novel approaches for improvement of water management practices, economical benefits, health, food and water security, protection against
extreme events are needed, as well as the expertises from climatology, hydrology, integrated Modelling, water management, spatial planning,
economy, social sciences (sociology, politology), sector expertise (water sector, agriculture, fisheries, forestry, energy, transport, health).
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
AT THE FACULTY OF FORESTRY,
TU ZVOLEN
The Faculty of Forestry of the Technical University Zvolen further develops the traditions of
higher forestry education on the Slovak territory. As early as 1807, Forestry Institute had
been established within the former Mining Academy in the nearby Banská ·tiavnica. Thirty
nine years later, a joint Mining and Forestry Academy was founded there. Following turbulent
social developments that swept across Europe during the 1st half of the XX century and the decline of mining industries, University of Forestry
and Wood Technology was finally established in Zvolen in 1952. It had two faculties at that time: the Faculty of Forestry and the Faculty of
Wood Technology. Since then, 5316 students have graduated from the Faculty of Forestry, 98 among them from abroad, and 412 candidates have
earned their PhD degree from it. In 1991, the University of Forestry and Wood Technology was renamed to Technical University Zvolen.
The research base is determined by the world trends in forestry, game and natural resources management, own traditions, strengths and innovations,
as well as the required profile of faculty graduates and co-operation with forestry business branch. The scientific research is carried out
by all faculty members and staff, as well as graduate students with a resulting research capacity of 200 000 hours.
Owing to the long reproduction process of forest stands (90–120 years), forestry planning and management, the scientific basis is comparatively
stable, with graduate students being its most dynamic component. Currently, the faculty consists of 16 full professors, 22 associate professors,
29 assistant professors and 26 scientific researchers.
The technical resources of the Faculty of Forestry lean on its state-of-the art scientific equipment. Advanced technical solutions have recently been
acquired and partly concentrated within two centers established on the faculty platform: The Joint Laboratory of the Technical University Zvolen
and National Forestry Centre Zvolen for DNA analyses and The Joint National Centre for the Research of Temperate Primeval Forests (www.virginforests.sk)
as platforms for an interdisciplinary approach and cooperation.
Own institutional resources currently play only a minor role in the scientific research. The major part of funds for approved scientific projects is
provided on a competitive basis by the Scientific Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic and the Slovak Academy of
Sciences (VEGA), Research and Development Agency (RDA) and the EU funds, mainly within the 5th and 6th framework programs.
The faculty is represented in two VEGA commissions (Commission for forestry, agricultural and veterinary sciences, Commission for ecological
and biological science), in the RDA Board of governors and two RDA councils (Council for Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Council for International
Scientific Cooperation). Also, the Faculty of Forestry holds the position of the National expert for the 6th thematic priority “Sustainable
Development, Global Change and Ecosystems (ECOTECH)” within the 6 th framework program.