Investments in Water Management in Rural Areas

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the implementation of environmental investments in rural areas and prepare a ranking of voivodships. Detailed studies covered Polish rural areas according to voivodship division and were focused on environmental investments related to water management: the sewage network, water supply systems, collective and individual sewage treatment plants, water treatment plants and flood embankments. The research period covered the years 2010-2019. The research uses indicators characterizing investments in water management. The method of zero unitarization was used, which allowed to compare the values of the adopted indicators and establish a synthetic indicator determining a ranking of voivodships according to the implementation of environmental investments. Research shows that more than half of all expenditure are investments related to the sewage and water supply network. The exceptions are the Łódzkie and Podkarpackie voivodships, where greater expenditure is incurred on collective treatment plants than on the water supply network. The values of the synthetic index make it possible to determine the regions where the most and least environmental investments were implemented. The highest values of the synthetic index are found in the Mazowieckie, Wielkopolskie and Małopolskie voivodships. The lowest values of the indicator are recorded for the Opolskie, Podlaskie, Świętokrzyskie and Śląskie voivodships, where the least environmental investments were implemented.