Is Hungary drying up under the surface?

By: Trademagazin Date: 2023. 10. 05. 09:40

After a summer rich in precipitation, one might think that the balance of nature has been restored this autumn. Appearances are deceiving, however, as the situation under the surface is far from rosy: in recent years, for example, the groundwater level in Békés county has dropped by 3 meters during the summer.

The “drying” of Hungary can be traced back to many reasons, but we do not have to look at the phenomenon passively. Dr. Wavin With the help of Flóra Skordilisz, urban climate expert and urban planner, she looked for the answer to how simple steps can be taken to make our home, city, or even industrial facilities climate-proof. In addition, with these tips, we “protect” not only the environment, but also our wallet in the long run.

22.3 percent of Hungary’s territory is a potential flood zone – this is one of the highest rates in Europe – and 34 percent is threatened by droughts. It is not surprising that the cost of local governments to cover flood and inland water damage is tens of billions of forints annually. According to models predicting the nature of climate change, the average annual precipitation will not change significantly, but fluctuations in its temporal distribution are expected: there will be more days with extreme, high precipitation, and at the same time, dry periods in summer will also become longer. Hydrologists, ecologists and landscape architects agree that the largest water reservoir could be the topsoil, which can absorb up to two-thirds of the precipitation.