Slovakia establishes National Commission for Water and Drought

The Slovak government has approved the statute for the newly established National Commission for Water and Drought. The commission is designed to coordinate public policies, strategic planning, and investment priorities regarding water availability and drought resilience. It will operate on two levels: a strategic-decision-making body and an expert-analytical body.

Prime Minister Robert Fico will chair the decision-making college, which holds the power to confirm, change, or cancel conclusions. The commission's leadership includes the Minister of Agriculture, Richard Takáč, and the Minister of Environment, Tomáš Taraba, serving as vice-presidents. Other members include ministers from the interior, finance, economy, transport, health, and regional development sectors, as well as representatives from the SK8 association of self-governing regions.

The Ministry of Agriculture has defended the commission's composition following criticism from the Union of Cities Slovakia (ÚMS), which argued that cities lack direct representation. The Ministry responded that local government interests are represented through other organizations like ZMOS and SK8, and noted that the statute allows for inviting additional experts and organizations as needed.