The Ministry of Agriculture supports cooperation aimed at preserving biodiversity

Regarding the cooperation agreement, Bertalan Balczó, Deputy State Secretary for Nature Conservation at the Ministry of Agriculture, highlighted that the fundamental mission of national park directorates is to preserve the services provided by the natural environment and to ensure that their benefits are also applied to society and the national economy. The preservation of Hungary’s natural capital, the habitats and species of the Carpathian Basin, is a strategic issue. We must be prepared for the fact that the existence and favorable condition of ecosystems and habitats will become an economic factor in the medium term and a basic condition for competitiveness. The importance of biodiversity is well illustrated by the findings of reports and studies cited by the World Bank and the OECD, according to which more than 200 million jobs worldwide depend directly on biodiversity and more than 50% of global GDP comes from industries that are moderately or strongly dependent on ecosystem services.

The first and foremost step in maintaining the resources inherent in biodiversity, the services provided by natural habitats, climate regulation, pollination, clean water and air is the protection of national parks. However, the observed decline in biodiversity worldwide points to the need for a major step forward in nature conservation work, and for innovative solutions and cooperation that go beyond the usual framework. The initiative, responsibility and partnership of MBH Bank is exemplary in this field and can have far-reaching positive effects as a good practice in the cooperation between nature conservation and the financial sector – explained the Deputy State Secretary.

Thanks to the Sustainable Future Bank Program, satellite transmitters are now used to protect the székér in Hortobágy, the breeding success of tern species in the Danube-Dráva National Park was promoted by building a breeding island, and in the Balaton Uplands, habitat identification was carried out with game cameras and collars with transmitters in order to protect wild cats. In the Bükk, the development of the Szinva nature trail was possible, and in the Kiskunság National Park, a solar-powered water supply infrastructure based on renewable energy was created to protect a wetland threatened by climate change and falling groundwater levels.