WWF Czechia focuses on freshwater conservation, sustainable agriculture, and the restoration of resilient landscapes. Its work aims to improve the health of rivers, wetlands, and agricultural areas while supporting biodiversity, climate adaptation, and the well-being of local communities. Key conservation priorities include the recovery of critically endangered freshwater species such as the sterlet sturgeon and the freshwater pearl mussel, alongside efforts to restore and protect their habitats. 

The organisation's priority landscapes include the Ore Mountains and the Ohře River basin, as well as the Lipno area and Malše river catchment in South Bohemia. WWF Czechia works closely with scientists, farmers, policymakers, local communities, and other partners across Central Europe to develop practical solutions that benefit both nature and people. 

WWF Czechia is part of the WWF network in Central and Eastern Europe. The team consists of eight professionals working across conservation, sustainable agriculture, communications, fundraising, and corporate engagement. 

Conservation Facts

Brimming with natural beauty, the Czech Republic's flora and fauna is of special scientific and nature conservation importance. The country is home to a considerable proportion of those species that are protected at European level. Thanks to historical development and natural conditions, the Czech Republic has a structurally rich landscape, which is, however, increasingly influenced by fragmentation, housing development, intensive economic use and unification. 

Biodiversity

• The Czech Republic hosts an estimated 55,480 species of animals and plants. This number represents 35% of the total species described for Europe and could represent more than 3% of the species in the world¹. But the state of animal and plant species is related to the state of landscape - the number of species assessed as endangered is growing. 

Protected areas

• The large-scale network of protected areas consists of 4 national parks and 26 landscape protected areas. In total they represent about 16% of the surface of the Czech Republic. There is also an extensive network – more than 2,600 – of small-scale protected areas. Worldwide, it is one of the highest numbers per capita. 
• The Natura 2000 network, which partly overlaps with national categories of protected areas, consists of 41 Special Protection Areas and 1,112 Special Areas of Conservation, representing about 14% of the area of the Czech Republic². However, without proper management such a high number of protected areas might be of low effectivity in the end. 

Forests

• At 34% woodland coverage, the Czech Republic is one of the most forested nations in Europe³. Unfortunately, a large part of the forests is in long-term poor health. This is mainly related to their unsuitable species and age composition, bark beetle calamity and overpopulated ungulate game which make natural regeneration impossible.

Impactful Projects

• Good for You, Good for Nature: Since July 2021, WWF has established its first of its kind corporate partnership in the country. The retailer Tesco and WWF joined forces to raise awareness of sustainable eating habits to improve health and mitigate the environmental impact of our food. The long-term partnership’s objective is to support a shift to affordable and sustainable everyday shopping choices in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. The Tesco-WWF Partnership in the Central European region will focus on three key areas: raising awareness amongst Tesco colleagues of the role they can play to reduce the impact of corporate operations on the environment and nature; stimulating customer interest in, and awareness of sustainable food choices that they can make every day; and working together with suppliers and partners to raise awareness of best practice sustainable production and ensure affordable choices for shoppers. Learn more about the partnership here.

• Healthy Plate, Healthy Planet: WWF Czechia introduced the Healthy Plate, Healthy Planet initiative to promote diets that are good for both people and nature. Based on WWF's scientific Plate of Change methodology, the project provides practical guidance on sustainable eating adapted to Central European conditions, while encouraging healthier food choices, reduced food waste, and lower environmental impacts. The initiative also engages businesses and policymakers in creating food systems that support both human health and biodiversity. 
• WWF is Coming to Czechia – Survey: Ahead of the launch of WWF Czechia, a nationwide public survey explored how people perceive nature conservation and what they expect from a new WWF office. The results helped shape the organisation's priorities, confirming strong public support for freshwater protection, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience. The survey also established an evidence-based foundation for WWF Czechia's future conservation and communication strategy. 

• LIFE Agristructure: As a partner in the LIFE Agristructure project, WWF Czechia is helping transform agricultural landscapes into more resilient and biodiverse ecosystems. The project promotes landscape features such as hedgerows, wetlands and flower strips that improve water retention, reduce soil erosion, and provide habitats for wildlife. By bringing together farmers, scientists and policymakers, LIFE Agristructure demonstrates that nature-friendly farming can strengthen both biodiversity and long-term agricultural productivity. 

• Sturgeon Release in the rivers in Morava: WWF Czechia supports the reintroduction of the critically endangered sterlet into the Moravian rivers as part of a broader effort to restore native sturgeon populations across the Danube basin. The project combines species recovery with habitat restoration and cross-border cooperation with partners in Slovakia and Austria, contributing to healthier river ecosystems and reconnecting freshwater habitats across Central Europe. 

• David Attenborough's 100th Birthday: To celebrate Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday, WWF Czechia launched a nationwide campaign inviting people to share personal messages of gratitude through a dedicated online platform. Hundreds of individuals, schools and organisations took part by sending written, photo and video greetings, which were delivered to Sir David's team as a collective birthday gift. The campaign generated strong media interest while inspiring public engagement with nature conservation and highlighting Attenborough's lasting influence on environmental awareness. 

Representation

At the moment, in the Czech Republic, the organization is led by Lenka Fryčová, Executive Director in WWF Czechia, lfrycova@wwfcee.org. 

Lenka Fryčová joined WWF-CEE in June 2021 and became Executive Director of WWF Czechia in 2025. She is an expert in nature and landscape conservation financing. Before moving to the non-governmental sector, Lenka worked at the Czech Ministry of Environment until 2008 as a Deputy-Director of the Financial Tools in Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection Department. Lenka has in-depth expertise in project and proposal assessment and evaluation, designing and evaluation of financial instruments in nature conservation and landscape protection, nature conservation projects management and coordination, lecturing and presentations. Her educational background covers international trade, international relations, and political science, graduating from the University of Economics and Business in Prague and Charles University in Prague.

Source of information:

1. IUCN, Red List: Czech Republic’s biodiversity at risk
2. NCA CR. Nature Protection Network and NATURA 2000 in the Czech Republic. Available online: http://www.ochranaprirody.cz/en/  (accessed on 2 December 2019)
3. The World Bank, Forest area - Czech Republic

Website

wwfcz.org