The Karlovarsky, Ustecky and Moravian-Silesian regions between them have some of the lowest wages rates and highest mortality and unemployment rates in the country. The Karlovary Vary and Ústí regions have probably never fully recovered from the expulsion of their mainly German speaking population at the end of WWII. Moravia-Silesia, an industrial post-war power house for engineering, steel, and hard coal production, has more recent problems as some of these industries shed workers and decline. Ústí’s brown coal industry is also on an inexorable slide, Radio Praha writes. 

The government seeks to put the last touches to a wide ranging revival action plan for the three regions. It is the first such wide ranging plan in the country modelled on the experience of other countries such as Austria and Germany. Prime Minister Sobotka said past support had helped avoid the worst but it was now time for a concerted effort to try and turn the regions fortunes around. 

Some of the ideas are to encourage higher education or research facilities into physiotherapy and balneology in the spa region of Karlovy Vary. Incentives will be given for foreign investment and jobs offering relatively high wages Lithium extraction and the new technologies linked to high performing batteries could be a boost for the Ústí’ and Karlovy Vary regions. Read full article by Radio Praha.

Meanwhile, Radio Praha reported, plans have been to develop a giant Geopark in Prague and the south-west of the capital. It would focus on the rich geological remains stemming from when the area was once an ocean in the southern continent. The plans, backed by the Central Bohemia region, is to win national recognition for the area and then UNESCO status as one of the world’s geoparks. It would be named after the famous French geologist Joachim Barrande who carried out much research in the area in the 19th century.