Estonian Environment Estonian environmental indicators 2012 ESTONIAN ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 2012 Estonian Environment Information Centre Tallinn 2013 Editors: Kait Antso, Ingrid Hermet Contributors Background indicators: Kait Antso, Helen Heintalu, Kaie Kriiska, Veiko Adermann Mineral resources: Kait Antso Fisheries: Kunnar Klaas, Herki Tuus, Ain Soome Game animals: Peep Männil, Rauno Veeroja Water: Peeter Marksoo, Andre Zahharov, Kristiina Olesk Forest: Mati Valgepea, Vladislav Apuhtin, Veiko Adermann Biodiversity: Lauri Klein, Reigo Roasto Air and climate: Natalja Kohv, Anne Mändmets, Tiina Tammets, Kait Antso Waste: Marit Leevik-Polli Environment and health: Kait Antso, Monika Lepasson Funding: Kait Antso Consultants for preparing texts and collecting data: Kalju Eerme, Aune Annus, Mart Simm, Heiko Põdersalu Proof reader: Anu Rooseniit Design and Layout: Purk OÜ Cover photo: Kait Antso Publisher: Estonian Environmental Information Centre, Mustamäe tee 33, 10616 Tallinn. Tel +372 673 7577, Fax +372 673 7599, [email protected], www.keskkonnainfo.ee Printing: printing house „Vaba Maa“. Printed on 100% recycled paper. Copyright: Estonian Environment Information Centre, 2013 Please credit the source when using or citing information from this publication. ISSN 1736-3373 2 Introduction Estonian Environmental Indicators 2012 is a publication that provides an overview of the state of Estonia's environment. This publication is the third of its kind. The first environmental indicator-based publication titled Environmental Review 2005: an Indicator-Based Summary was published only in English in 2007. In 2009, publication titled Estonian Environmental Indicators 2009 was published both in Estonian and English. This publication as compared to the previous one puts a stronger emphasis on indicators that affect the state of environment. While earlier environmental indicator-based publications also served as the over- views of the Estonian Environmental Reviews that were published at the same time, this publication is completely independent of environmental review publications. This enables a somewhat broader review of the environment and factors that affect the state of environment in particular. Structurally, the book is divided into 11 sections - background indicators, mineral resources, fisheries, game animals, water, forest, biodiversity, air and climate, waste, environment and health, and funding. The section of background indicators characterises the indicators that affect the environment, however, these are not considered as environmental indicators. Environment and health covers some environmental indicators that may have an impact on people's health. Funding shows sums targeted into environmental projects through Environmental Investment Centre that characterises the implementation of environmental measures to an extent. Other sections are fairly similar in nature, consisting mostly of three types of indicators either independently or in combination - pressure indicators, state indicators and response indicators: pressure indicators characterise the direct pressure on the environment; state indicators give an overview of the state of environment; response indicators characterise technical or management measures implemented for improving the state of environment. Every indicator independently shows its type; most indicators also refer to the most important environmental or background indicators associated with them. The environmental indicator-based publication is for everyone interested in the state of the Estonian environment. The publication includes a strategic target, time series and short analysis of every major environmental topic based on the most recent data available in the first half of the year 2012. Estonian Environment Information Centre publications are available at http://www.keskkonnainfo.ee 3 Table of Contents 1. Background indicators 6 Estonia's population 7 Gross domestic product 8 Production and consumption of primary energy 9 Industrial output 10 Agricultural output 11 Cargo turnover by category of transport 12 Passenger turnover by category of transport 13 Land use 14 2. Mineral resources 15 Oil shale mining and reserves 16 Peat harvesting and reserves 17 The fee for extraction right of mineral resources 18 3. Fisheries 19 Fishing in the Baltic Sea 20 Fishing in Lake Peipsi, Lake Lämmijärv and Lake Pihkva 21 Status of fish stock in the Baltic Sea 22 Status of fish stock in Lake Peipsi, Lake Lämmijärv and Lake Pihkva 23 Fishing quotas of internationally regulated species of fish in the Baltic Sea 24 Fishing quotas in Lake Peipsi, Lake Lämmijärv and Lake Pihkva 25 4. Game animals 26 Hunting limits of large predators and the number of hunted individuals 27 Number of large predator litters 28 5. Water 29 Water abstraction and water use 30 Point source pollution load into inland bodies of water and the sea 31 Status of groundwater 32 Ecological status of coastal waters 33 Ecological status of watercourses 34 Ecological status of lakes 35 Price of water 36 Rates of pollution charges for emission of pollutants into aquatic environment 37 6. Forest 38 Share of felling in increment 39 Growing stock 40 Status of forests 41 Share of strictly protected forests 42 4 7. Biodiversity 43 Intersection of main roads network with green network 44 Share of land improvement systems by ecosystems 45 Endangerment of biodiversity in ecosystems 46 Assessment of the status of the European Union Habitat Directive's habitats 47 Ecosystem protection 48 8. Air and climate 49 Emissions of pollutants in PM10 equivalent 50 Emissions of acidifying substances 51 Particle concentrations in cities and limit values exceeded 52 Sulphur dioxide concentration in cities and background stations 53 Rates of pollution charges for emission of pollutants into ambient air 54 Emissions of greenhouse gases 55 Annual average air temperature 56 Annual average precipitation 57 Production and consumption of renewable energy 58 9. Waste 59 Waste generation 60 Hazardous waste generation 61 Municipal waste generation and handling 62 Packaging waste generation and recovery 63 Disposal of waste in landfills 65 Number of landfills in use and classification 66 Recovery of waste 67 10. Environment and health 68 Solar ultraviolet radiation 69 Concentration of caesium in the environment 70 Quality of drinking and bathing water 71 Dangerous substances in the fish of the Baltic Sea 72 11. Funding 74 Funding of environmental protection projects from the Environmental Programme of the Environmental Investment Centre 75 5 1. Background indicators Background indicator Estonia's population Estonia's population is continuously decreasing. 2010, which is at a fairly similar level to the European In terms of population, Estonia is one of the smallest Union's average (10.70). countries in Europe. An estimated 1,339,662 people Increasing life expectancy and low mortality has lived in Estonia as of 1 January, 2012. Like in Finland caused the ageing of population. The proportion of and Sweden, Estonia's population density is one of people over 65 years of age in Estonia's population is the smallest in Europe - 30.8 people/km2. 930,240 17.2% as of 1 January, 2012. Life expectancy of men and people lived in urban settlements and 409,422 people women living in Estonia differs by ten years, which in rural settlements at the beginning of 2012. In recent means that the difference between male and female years, the relative importance of population in rural life expectancy here is one of the highest in Europe. settlements has stabilised, constituting about 30% of As of 2010, the life expectancy of Estonian women is the total population. 80.5 years and 70.6 years for men. Male life expectancy As of the beginning of the 1990s, Estonia's popula- in Europe is lower only in Latvia and Lithuania. tion has continuously decreased, and this trend is predicted for the future as well. This is due to low birth rate, especially in the 1990s, and also emigration at the beginning of the 1990s. Birth rate decreased until 1998. This century, the decrease in population has stabilised somewhat as a result of a slight increase in the birth rate and a decrease in the death rate. In 2010, natural growth was positive for the first time since 1990 - the number of births exceeded the number of deaths. Estonia's crude birth rate, which shows the number of births per 1,000 population, was 11.81 in 1,6 Population as 1,5 at 1 January 1,4 1,3 Million 1,2 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 Estimated yearly population in Estonia as at 1 January. Data: Statistics Estonia. 7 Background indicator Gross domestic product In the last few years, gross domestic product has of the global financial crisis also reached Estonia's main started to increase again. trading partners, Estonia's economy went into a rapid Estonia's gross domestic product (GDP) increased decline. In 2009, GDP decreased more than 14% in rapidly from 2000. During 2000–2007, the yearly comparison to the previous year. In the last few years, increase of GDP stayed around 6–7%. In 2006, Estonia's Estonia's export volume has significantly increased, yearly increase of GDP was over 10%. In 2006, Estonia and domestic demand is also on the upturn. This has thus held the second place in Europe behind Latvia for led to the recovery of Estonia's economy - in 2011, economic growth. Rapid economic growth was mainly GDP increased by 7.6% in comparison to the previous due to high domestic demand, which was helped along year. However, a steep deceleration is predicted for by good loan terms. Private consumption was also Estonia's economic growth due to the debt crisis in promoted with positive trends on the labour market, several Eurozone countries. consumers' sense of security towards economy, rapid salary growth, reducing income tax and the increase of retirement pensions. Investments also increased, the rapid growth of which was due to active investing by companies thanks to low interest margins and large influx of foreign investments. Estonia's economy started to simmer down in 2007 due to decreased domestic demand.