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Environmental information systems
Czechia is a land-locked country bordered by 4 neighbouring nations, with a terrestrial area of nearly 79,000km². The western region of Bohemia is characterised by the presence of the Elbe and Vltava rivers, surrounded by low mountains, while the eastern region of Moravia consists of low-lying hills and is drained by the Morava River. The highest peak in Czechia is Sněžka, standing at 1,603m. The country has a population of 10.7 million people, resulting in a population density of 129 people per km².
of land
is covered
by protected areas
species
are protected
under EU law
habitats
are protected
under EU law
Sources: Terrestrial protected area coverage by country and in the EU-27 by the end of 2023, Marine protected areas in Europe's seas (2023), Conservation status of habitat types and species: datasets from Article 17, Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC reporting (2013-2018).
In 2023, of terrestrial area of is designated as protected areas, falling below the EU value of 26.4%.
The data sources and related statistics refer to 2023, therefore aligned with the EEA indicators: Designated terrestrial protected areas in Europe, Natura 2000 sites designated under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives.
Percentage of area covered by protected areas
Evolution of area covered by protected areas
From 2012 to 2023 the share of terrestrial protected areas in Belgium increased by 0.5%, below the EU value increase of 1.8%.
The EU Biodiversity Strategy has set a target of reaching 30% protected area coverage at the EU level by 2030.
If you want to know more about the Biodiversity Strategy, you can explore the Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) and in particular the Dashboard section showing progress of the EU and its Member States towards the Biodiversity Strategy targets set for 2030.
Distribution of protected areas between national designations and Natura 2000
In the majority of protected areas in the terrestrial environment, accounting for are designated as Natura 2000 sites, indicating their importance in conserving biodiversity and natural habitats. Other protected areas are designated by national laws, representing .
Spatial distribution of protected areas network
Protected areas designated under national laws
Designated sites in the Natura 2000 network
Size distribution of protected areas network
The majority (84%) of protected areas in Czechia are less than 1km2 in size, which is higher than the average proportion of small protected areas across the EU. Only about 1% of terrestrial protected areas in Czechia are 100-1,000km2 and none are larger than 1,000km2.
A focus on Natura 2000 sites in
has a total of Natura 2000 sites, they are designated under the Birds Directive, encompassing Special Protection Areas (SPA), and the Habitats Directive, encompassing Sites of Community Importance (SCI). Many sites are designated under both Directives.
Species protected in under EU law fall under the Habitats and Birds Directives. hosts protected under the Habitats Directive, which is approximately 13% of the total of the Habitats Directive’s species and protected birds, which is approximately 53% of the species protected under the Birds Directive.
The figures are based on data electronically reported by the Member States under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) on the conservation status of habitat types and species for the 2013–2018 reporting period.
species protected under EU law
species under the Habitats Directive
species under the Birds Directive
Conservation Status of species: Habitats Directive
In , of species assessments indicate a good conservation status, while the EU average corresponds to 27.5%. The proportion of assessments indicating bad conservation status is reaching , compared to the EU average of 20.6%
Protected species composition by taxonomic group
In , the distribution of protected species across taxonomic groups highlights the prominence of birds, comprising the largest proportion at 58.3%. They are followed by arthropods and vascular plants, accounting for 9.6% of protected species.
Conservation Status by Taxa
In , the assessment of species groups reveals that mammals have the highest proportion of species with a good conservation status, standing at 49.2%. Following behind are amphibians, with 37.9%, and non-vascular plants, with 33.3% of species in good conservation status. On the other hand, molluscs exhibit the highest percentage of species with a bad conservation status, reaching 66.6%, while fish also have a significant proportion of species in bad conservation status at 64%. All other invertebrates have poor conservation status.
Habitats protected in under EU law fall under the Habitats Directive. hosts habitat types, which is approximately 25.8% of the total of habitat types protected by the Habitats Directive.
The figures are based on data electronically reported by the Member States under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) on the conservation status of habitat types and species for the 2013–2018 reporting period.
habitats protected under EU law in
Conservation status of habitats
In 19.4% of habitats assessments indicate a good conservation status which is above the EU average of 14.7%. The proportion of assessments indicating a bad conservation status, amounting to 30.1%, is slightly below the EU average of 35.8%.
Protected habitat composition by group
In the group with the largest number of protected habitats is forests (26.6%), followed by grasslands (21.6%) and freshwater (15%).
Conservation status by group
In the assessment of habitat groups reveals that rocky habitats have the highest proportion of good conservation status, standing at 76.9%. Following behind are sclerophyllous scrub, with 50% of habitat types in good conservation status. On the other hand, coastal habitats exhibit the highest percentage of habitat types with a bad conservation status reaching 100%, while bogs, mires and fens and dune habitats also have a significant proportion of habitat types in bad conservation status at 50%.
Czechia is predominantly characterised by two main types of ecosystems: Agroecosystems, which cover 53.8% of the country, followed by Forest ecosystems occupying 37.4% of the land area. Urban areas account for 7.4% however, Czechia has relatively smaller proportions of rivers and lakes (0.9%), heathlands (0.5%), and wetland ecosystems (0.07%).
In terms of the protected area network, forests constitute the largest portion, covering 64.2% of the protected areas. Agroecosystems make up 30.6% of the protected areas, reflecting the importance of conserving and managing agricultural landscapes for biodiversity. Urban areas account for 3.04% of the protected areas, emphasizing the significance of protecting nature within urban environments. Rivers and lakes contribute to 1.5% of the protected areas, whileheathlands represent 0.9%, and wetlands comprise 0.2%.
The figures are based on the dataset "Ecosystem types of Europe 2012 - Full map (marine and terrestrial habitats) - version 3 revision 1, Feb. 2019".