The permanent water shortage period was announced at the initiative of NAK and MAGOSZ

During the declared period of permanent water shortage, it is possible to use water for emergency irrigation purposes for 30 days without a water law permit based on the notification of the water user (Photo: Pixabay)

During a period of permanent water shortage, it is possible to use water for irrigation purposes for 30 days even without a water rights permit, for which only a farmer’s notification is required. In addition, the water resource contribution does not have to be paid. All of this contributes to the fact that the effects of the extremely dry spring period can be mitigated with proper water management. Based on hydrometeorological conditions and forecasts, the National Chamber of Agriculture (NAK) and the Association of Hungarian Farmers’ Associations and Farmers’ Cooperatives (MAGOSZ) initiated the announcement of a permanent water shortage period at the Ministry of the Interior at the beginning of April. After that, the Minister of the Interior ordered the announcement of a period of permanent water shortage starting on May 24, 2024.

According to the National Drought Map, the data series of the National Meteorological Service, and the indications of the NAK county organizations, at the beginning of April, the entire territory of our country was affected by the water deficit condition of the soils

Although the rains at the end of April and beginning of May replenished the soil somewhat, after barely 2 weeks, severe drought again characterized the vast majority of our agricultural areas in a significant part of May. The long Whitsun weekend did bring precipitation, but at the same time, in view of the fact that monthly heat records have been broken all over Europe in the past 1 year, as well as the fact that long-term meteorological models predict that we are looking at a hotter and drier summer than average – which cause a serious evaporation loss to the domestic water economy -, NAK and MAGOSZ maintained the necessity of declaring a period of permanent water shortage, especially with regard to creating the possibility of emergency irrigation. During the announced permanent water shortage period, based on the notification of the water user, it is possible to use water for emergency irrigation purposes for 30 days without a water rights permit, the introduction of which was also advocated by NAK and MAGOSZ in 2019. Extraordinary use of water for irrigation purposes is the application of a maximum of 120 mm/hectare (1200 m³/hectare) of water directly from surface water to an area of no more than 100 hectares for the purpose of irrigation, without interruption for a maximum period of one month. The extraordinary use of water for irrigation purposes must be reported in writing to the territorially competent water authority (the county disaster management directorate), to which the consent of the manager of the surface water affected by the water withdrawal (territorially competent water directorate) must be attached.

NAK