Krompolcová Jana – The effect of the brown coal mining on the Ústecký region in the Czech Republic
The Ústecký region is located in the northwest part of the Czech Republic and borders with Germany.
It is the 5th biggest region in the country and is interesting from several reasons. The historical development of this area has been totally different from the rest of the country, because changes in settlement from Czech to German inhabitants and conversely. The region has a few negative issues: the highest amount of foreign immigrants, the highest unemployment, the youngest and lowest educated population, and whereas the region has the youngest population it also has the highest mortality in the country. On the other side of the equation, the natural capital of the region is huge. There are many protected landscapes and national parks with unique rock formations, canyons and towers up to 400 meters above sea level. We can also find here many protected animal and plant species or mineral and healing springs.
The geological bedrock riches in minerals and coal made the region an important industrial region. In the 18th century as a result of the industrial revolution uncontrolled brown coal mining occurred at the expense of natural environments. The effects on the landscape were deepening with intensification of coal mining and with development of infrastructure for energy and industrial production. The most intensive phase of development was 1970-80 and its affect cannot be overlooked. For example in the range 15 years 53% of the coniferous vegetation died in the Ore mountains. Mining also brought changes to watersheds, where the original flows were replaced by systems of channels and water reservoirs in the places of old mines. It is also evident that children suffer more from respiratory diseases and allergies and there is also higher death rates from heart disease in basin areas. Coal extraction rates in this area are unbearable and it is surprising, that even today in the 21st century, there are many initiatives to sustain the functionality of mining at the expense of villages and towns that this process could destroy.
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Sense of Place 