Hungary National report

Ádám Kertész Head of Department

Geographical Research Institute Hungarian Academy of Sciences 1112 Budapest, Budaörsi út 45. E-mail: [email protected] Land use changes in Hungary 1895-2001 (1000 ha)

Non- Arable Agricult. Cult. Year Orchards Vineyard Meadow Pasture Forest Reed cult. land land* area area 1895 5103 95 175 798 1268 7439 1191 49 8678 528 1930 5587 107 214 668 1001 7577 1095 30 8702 595 1945 5567 115 215 639 962 7498 1116 29 8643 650 1950 5518 152 230 609 865 7376 1166 29 8571 728 1965 5085 319 247 419 885 6954 1422 29 8404 900 1970 5046 318 230 407 876 6875 1471 32 8378 925 2001 4516 195 93 1061 5865 1772 60 7697 1606 * Agricultural land is arable land, orchard, vineyard, meadow and pasture alltogether. Environmental management of forested areas

• Forestry policy is directed towards nature conservation and environmental protection • Focus on socio-economic and cultural benefits and not on production • Ecology and biodiversity • 2004: National Forest Program of Hungary

The main objective of the National Forest Program is to ensure long term sustainability and to satisfy the demands of consumption, environmental protection, recreation taking socio-economic and cultural aspects into account. Strategic objectives

• Protection and support of natural processes • Conservation and rehabilitation of quasi natural forests • Protection of protected and rare species • Landscape protection • Maintenance of forested area

Territorial data

• Forest area: 1.974 million ha • Area covered by trees: 1.843 million ha

• Percentage of forested area: 19.8% • 387 million ha are protected (20%) Changes of the forested area Forested areas in Hungary (2006) Afforestation between 1920 and 2005 Mountains of Hungary Hungary has several moderately high ranges of mountains. They can be classified to four geographic regions, from west to east: Alpokalja, Transdanubian Mountains, Mecsek and Northern Mountains. Alpokalja (literally the foothills of the Alps) is located along the Austrian border. The Transdanubian Mountains stretch from the west part of Lake Balaton to the Danube Bend near Budapest, where it meets the Northern Mountains. Mecsek is in the southern part of Transdanubia. Topographic map of Hungary Highest peaks

Name Height Mountain range Geographic region Kékes 1014 m Mátra Northern Mountains Galyatető 964 m Mátra Northern Mountains Istállós-kő 959 m Bükk Northern Mountains Bálvány 956 m Bükk Northern Mountains Tar-kő 950 m Bükk Northern Mountains Csóványos 938 m Börzsöny Northern Mountains Nagy-Milic 894 m Zemplén Northern Mountains Írott-kő 882 m Kőszeg Mountains Alpokalja Nagyhideghegy 864 m Börzsöny Northern Mountains Tót-hegyes 814 m Mátra Northern Mountains Kékestető Istállóskő Main problems of mountain watersheds • Length of streams on hilly and mountainous areas is 55 000 km • Main regulating activities:

• river bed adjustments to ensure quick runoff • construction of dams • reservoirs, also for flood peaks and for high intensity rainfalls • as a result of the regulations living organisms in streams and lakes have restricted living conditions • biodiversity decreased • hardly any natural stream beds • increase of agricultural areas

• Conflicts between water management and ecological aspects because of the regulations and of water usage • Soil erosion • Mining activities • Karstic water niveau subsidence • Water quality problems, pollution • The influence of mountainous watersheds of the neighbouring countries Increasing problems because of climate change • extreme draughts • high intensity rainfall events • changing proportion of evaporation, runoff and infiltration • changes in natural vegetation • soil dynamics changes • ecological and other problems because of lack of water Main objectives and tasks of water management for the future 1. Ensuring flood security in an environment friendly way • increasing flood risk because of climate change • opening new areas on the floodplains for flood water storage • flood strategy should include also the headwater catchment and not only the floodplains • flood strategy has to be complex taking not only the floods but all kinds of human activities • international co-operation – headwater catchments • adequatic strategy includes 3 steps: • keeping rainfall water on the site • storing surplus locally • only surplus not stored locally may enter the stream 2. Water supply of settlements • aquatic ecosystems should be protected • sewage treatment – canalisation is not everywhere, karstic wat ers are very sensitive • supply of healthy drinking water • conserving our water basis, i.e. subsurface waters 90% of drinking water comes from subsurface waters 3. The problem of inland inundations on lowlands 4. The problem of groundwater subsidence on the Danube-Tisza Interfluve • increasing groundwater exploitation • afforestation • intensive agriculture 5. The effect of thermal tourism on the state of thermal waters • over exploitation • the problem of used thermal waters