{"id":30229,"date":"2022-04-12T18:07:27","date_gmt":"2022-04-12T17:07:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/2022\/04\/rozhovor-s-ing-bc-annou-hubackovou-ministryni-zivotniho-prostredi\/"},"modified":"2024-07-11T20:09:05","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T19:09:05","slug":"interview-with-ing-bc-anna-hubackova-minister-of-the-environment-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/2022\/04\/interview-with-ing-bc-anna-hubackova-minister-of-the-environment-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Ing. Bc. Anna Hub\u00e1\u010dkov\u00e1, Minister of the Environment"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Minister, I\u00a0have a\u00a0question for you to start with. What was Anna Hub\u00e1\u010dkov\u00e1 like as a\u00a0little girl? Good grades, a\u00a0diligent student, or bruised knees and occasional disobedience?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

What a\u00a0question! So\u00a0\u2013 good grades, a\u00a0diligent student, and occasional naughtiness and a\u00a0bruised knee.<\/p>\n

After secondary school, you joined the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Brno University of Technology, where you chose the field of water management. Why civil engineering and water?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

That was a\u00a0big coincidence. I\u00a0originally applied to the Czech Technical University in Prague\u00a0\u2013 construction economics (I\u00a0don\u2019t remember the name exactly). Although I\u00a0was accepted, at the same time I\u00a0was offered a\u00a0transfer to another subject so that a\u00a0more influential student could be accepted on that course. I\u00a0was told when I\u00a0was already on the so-called student summer activity. There I\u00a0met a\u00a0great group of students\u00a0\u2013 all from the field of hydraulic engineering. Well, it was decided. If I\u00a0were to choose another field, then water and Brno University of Technology.<\/p>\n

Your first job, if I\u2019m not mistaken, was a position at Vodovody a kanalizace Hodon\u00edn, where you were in charge of water source protection. Do you remember your first project from that time?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My first project was also my diploma thesis. It was supply of drinking water to the south-eastern area of Hodon\u00edn district. Ing. Stanislav Ko\u0161ack\u00fd, the then Deputy of Vodovody a\u00a0kanalizace, was my consultant. After I\u00a0joined VaK Hodon\u00edn, it was a\u00a0wonderful discovery for me that my project was not put on a\u00a0shelf, but it was used: the entire water supply system was built according to it and still works.<\/p>\n

My first project as a\u00a0water manager of VaK Hodon\u00edn was the design of water source protection zones. At this point, I\u00a0don\u2019t remember exactly which one it was, but I\u00a0gradually did them all and I\u00a0really enjoyed it.<\/p>\n

After that, you started to pursue your career as an official. First in the position of head of the environmental office at the District Office in Hodon\u00edn and then for a\u00a0long time as head of the environmental department of the Regional Office of the South Moravian Region. What led you to leave the \u201ctechnology\u201d and move to the \u201coffice\u201d career?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The protection of water sources was the biggest motive. I\u00a0had ready proposals for buffer zones, and the announcement seemed like an unnecessarily long process. I\u00a0kept urging the then head of the department until he offered me a\u00a0job. So, I\u00a0started to announce them myself! And it was another beautiful job with people, and also the first great experience with persuading people about the necessity to treat water better, protect its quality, etc.<\/p>\n

Then you transferred to the Regional Office of the South Moravian Region, where you spent many years. From my personal experience, no one called you other than \u201cour Ani\u010dka\u201d. I\u00a0took it as eloquent proof of your popularity, which is unprecedented for an official. However, you left office unexpectedly quickly. Is there anything that can be said about this now?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u00a0liked working with my colleagues in the South Moravian Region. We managed a\u00a0lot, except for the final months, which I\u00a0chose to forget. Some other regional politicians came up with different ideas about environmental protection, in which my style of communication and work did not fit. I\u00a0left straightaway, but whenever I\u00a0return to the South Moravian Region, even after many years, I\u00a0am welcome. Unlike them.<\/p>\n

The positive perception of your personality by the public was also reflected in your clear victory in the Senate elections in 2016. What were your feelings then?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

These were unimaginably strong positive emotions, great joy, and perhaps a\u00a0little sense of satisfaction.<\/p>\n

But then also great responsibility.<\/p>\n

During your professional career, you have dealt with many interesting and unusual cases. Which one do you remember the most\u00a0\u2013 for better or worse?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In the field of the environment, you will experience many unique cases and events. It is not the beautiful and successful ones, but mostly the crisis ones that will be etched in your memory the most. Floods, accidents, drought effects, bark beetle outbreaks, mosquito outbreaks, cyanobacteria outbreaks, and others. But even in disasters, you will experience beautiful moments. We went to Podhrad\u00ed, where people experienced two floods in one year, to explain why it happened. It was, of course, very sensitive, because people were flooded twice in quick succession. Most of the citizens naturally spoke to us very sharply, but there was also a\u00a0couple whose marriage and family was actually saved by the flood and the trauma they experienced.<\/p>\n

You are now the Minister of the Environment. If someone had told you fifteen years ago that one day you would run an entire environmental department, what would you say?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u00a0would have laughed a\u00a0lot. I\u00a0would never have admitted that I\u00a0could become a\u00a0mayor or a\u00a0senator, let alone a\u00a0minister. These are big coincidences, opportunities, and challenges and I\u00a0just take them.<\/p>\n

As Minister of the Environment for the Czech Republic, you are negotiating with the Polish side over a\u00a0long-running dispute between the Czech Republic and Poland over the effects of mining at Tur\u00f3w lignite mine. This is a\u00a0difficult task at the outset in the position of Minister. Can this case be compared to something you have experienced and dealt with in the past?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This is a\u00a0case with an international impact, which I\u00a0have not experienced often. The South Moravian Region is bordered by two states, Slovakia and Austria, so in joint negotiations about some issues, most often on operations on the Morava and Dyje rivers during floods, I\u00a0was present, of course; it was this experience that helped me during negotiations in Poland about the activities at Tur\u00f3w mine. It is always about balancing our legitimate interests, our law and, at the same time, respecting international law and the law of another country. It\u2019s\u00a0not easy even when you do nice projects together, for example to protect the landscape, let alone when damage or harm is being addressed.<\/p>\n

The topic of sustainable development has been present in our country for thirty years, since the time of the Federal Minister of the Environment Josef Vavrou\u0161ek. However, many ordinary citizens may feel that not enough has been done in this field.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

There are a\u00a0lot of people around us like Josef Vavrou\u0161ek, and I\u00a0feel that there are more and more. I\u00a0really appreciate all of them, especially the young ones. Yes, we still have many challenges ahead of us, but climate change is also helping to change our thinking, and I\u00a0firmly believe that change in our landscape and our environment will be faster.<\/p>\n

Some time ago, in our magazine, we interviewed Mr. Pavel Fo\u0161umpauer (Deputy Head of the Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, CTU\u00a0\u2013 Editor\u2019s\u00a0note), on the topic of \u201cdevelopment of education in the field of water management\u201d. I\u2019ll ask you the same\u00a0\u2013 how do you see the current state of education and would you, as Minister of the Environment, like to ensure that practical ecology becomes part of the curriculum in primary and secondary schools?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Definitely. In cooperation with the Ministry of Education, I\u00a0will try to get ecology into the framework school programmes of primary schools. As we say in Czech, what you learn in your youth, you will find useful in old age\u00a0\u2013 it will always be true. We will pay more attention to ecological awareness raising and education at our Ministry.<\/p>\n

One of your announced priorities is the protection of drinking water. What exactly does that mean for you? What would you adjust\/change in the position of Minister of the Environment in this regard?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

For me as a\u00a0Minister, this means presenting legislation that will protect water more\u00a0\u2013 I\u00a0am already working on presenting a\u00a0draft amendment to the Constitution. And then also the preparation of subsidy titles which will strengthen returning water to the landscape, protecting its quality, retaining water in the landscape, supporting the construction of new water sources, wastewater treatment, etc. Naturally, I\u00a0need to do a\u00a0lot of awareness raising myself, together with the whole Ministry.<\/p>\n

In conclusion, I\u00a0would like to ask a\u00a0\u201clight-hearted\u201d question. You have a\u00a0beautiful Czech first name Anna, associated with many Czech sayings and weather lore. Do you believe\u00a0\u2013 as a\u00a0graduate of two universities\u00a0\u2013 in these traditions and wisdom of our ancestors?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Our ancestors treated nature much better than we did, they knew it better and I\u00a0trust and honour their heritage in the form of weather lore and traditions.<\/p>\n

Vr\u0161ovick\u00e1 Street, where the Ministry of the Environment is located, is lined with Japanese cherry trees, which bloom beautifully in spring. I\u00a0hope that you enjoy the view of that street in bloom as often as possible. Thank you for the interview.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Ing. Josef Nistler<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ing. Bc. Anna Hub\u00e1\u010dkov\u00e1, <\/strong>Minister of the Environment<\/span><\/p>\n

Ing. Bc. Anna Hub\u00e1\u010dkov\u00e1 was born in Hodon\u00edn. She is a\u00a0graduate of water management at the Brno University of Technology and Public Administration at the Faculty of Law of Masaryk University. She worked at the company Vodovody a\u00a0kanalizace Hodon\u00edn, where she was in charge of water resource protection; later she worked as the head of the environmental office at the District Office in Hodon\u00edn and the head of the environmental department of the Regional Office of the South Moravian Region. In 2005, she received the Minister of the Environment Award for her work and cooperation with non-governmental organizations. In her position, she was also a\u00a0member of the crisis staff involved in resolving crisis situations, as well as the chairwoman of the flood commissions. In 2014\u20132018, she held the position of mayor of Rat\u00ed\u0161kovice and since 2016 she has been a\u00a0senator for the Hodon\u00edn Region. In 2020, she was elected a\u00a0representative of the South Moravian Region and served as chairwoman of the Commission for the Environment and Agriculture. She is married and has two adult sons and three grandchildren.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rozhovor s Ing. Bc. Annou Hub\u00e1\u010dkovou, ministryn\u00ed \u017eivotn\u00edho prost\u0159ed\u00ed, o jej\u00ed profesn\u00ed kari\u00e9\u0159e, zam\u011b\u0159en\u00ed a programov\u00fdch priorit\u00e1ch, na n\u011b\u017e se zam\u011b\u0159\u00ed ve sv\u00e9 nov\u00e9 roli.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":14283,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,89,93],"tags":[290,120,825,2735,2715],"coauthors":[1742],"class_list":["post-30229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-from-the-world-of-water-management","category-water-technology-water-supply-waste-water-treatment","category-two-articles","tag-drinking-water","tag-interview","tag-legislation","tag-minister-of-the-environment","tag-turow"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30229"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30229\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30239,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30229\/revisions\/30239"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30229"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=30229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}