Nature protection and biodiversity - Drivers and pressures (Hungary)

SOER 2010 Common environmental theme (Deprecated)

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SOER Common environmental theme from Hungary

Topic: Nature and biodiversity

Published: 26 Nov 2010 Modified: 11 May 2020

Endangering factors of natural habitats and wild species in Hungary show a big variety according to regions. One of the important factors is the changing land use: the outstanding ratio and quality of crop land (in a European context), significant water management and drainage works (with the purpose of reducing production risks) have modified natural conditions of the living environment at regional scale, especially in lowland areas. Inappropriate land management in some areas has led to the intensification of erosion and deflation processes. (See Box 7)

As a consequence of socio-economic development due to urbanisation, an expansive agglomeration belt has evolved around some major cities. At the same time, active population of small towns and farms is decreasing, though they have an important role in the protection of landscape (See Box 8)

Several land-use types may cause pollution – either at a point source (e.g. heavy industry, chemical industry, backwardness of urban infrastructure), or on a surface (e.g. pollution from agricultural chemicals). Complex environmental effects of open pit and underground mining could be detected (in the previous decade the level of the Trans-Danube karst water decreased, but after the abandonment of mining it has risen again).

As a result of economic restructuring and setting up of environmental regulations and institutions after the political transformation in 1989 and due to the municipal environmental infrastructure development programmes (in the fields of wastewater and waste management), the above mentioned environmental loads have decreased significantly and preventive conservation activities gained importance. The 'inherited' problems from the previous era, as well as problems related to large-scale new investments involving high material and energy consumption and unfavorable land use patterns prevail.

Recent changes in land use have often led to conflicts: the optimal use of natural resources and horizontal aspects of sustainable regional development were often overwritten by market forces (especially in the capital and in some major cities along motorways). As regards agriculture, it is characterised by changing, unpredictable market conditions, prices and subsidies. These conditions are also reflected in the hectic evolution of organic farming. http://portal.ksh.hu/pls/ksh/docs/eng/xstadat/xstadat_annual/i_ua001.html

Construction of (mainly road) transport infrastructure and the related local logistics investments in recent years have resulted in further land take. Issues related to waterways also affect the environment. Density of inland waterway traffic on the main rivers of Hungary is near the European average (HU: 4.5 %, EU: 5.6 % in 2006). The Danube runs across several countries which show significant differences in the features of their waterways and their relevant natural assets. With respect to these differences, international cooperation is of utmost importance in order to minimise adverse effects across borders. For example, changes and dredging in the riverbed due to navigation development cause decreasing water levels which negatively affect the water bodies and the wildlife of floodplains, and result in the drying of habitats. This negative process is also accelerating the spread of invasive species.

Other cross-border phenomena and international environment and nature conservation policy measures in general affect the state of our natural heritage. We find positive as well as negative examples (e.g. spread of invasive species, significant pollutions resulting from mining and other industrial activities of our neighbouring countries especially in terms of river ecosystems, while joint programmes for ecological network development and preservation are progressive examples).

All the above mentioned processes and activities may contribute to the fragmentation of natural habitats. Smaller patches of habitats are more vulnerable to changes in the environment and less resistant to the appearance of invasive species.

One of the main challenges for the future is how to cope with the increasing need for biomass (energy plantation, bio-ethanol plants) – mostly in order to increase energy production and to scale up biodiesel production. In this field, there is a need for particular consciousness and facilitating only sustainable, environmentally friendly use of biomass potential as well as the harmonisation of different land use needs (food production and food safety, environment protection, energy production, etc.) is essential.

Environmental policy efforts act as a strong driving force, facilitating a shift from pure conservation-focussed intervention – exclusively on protected areas – to a more complex approach aiming, on the one hand, at the integrated management of protection, education, research and development and sustainable use of resources, and, on the other hand at extending nature protection aspects together with rural development goals to the whole territory of the country (through landscape management models).

See also: the first chapter of the Third National Environmental Programme and results of the MÉTA Programme (Box 10).

Box 7

Agricultural production has complex effects. Earlier on, the quantity-oriented, factory-sized production, increased use of artificial fertilisers and monocultural exploitation meant significant burdens on the environment. On arable lands pertaining better characteristics – the overuse of environmental resources, unprofessional agrotechnics and the intensification of agricultural production (irrigation, use of chemicals), diffuse pollution, soil-degeneration processes (soil erosion caused by water and wind, acidification, alkalisation, physical degradation, hardpan creation, decrease of organic material content) can cause problems.

Following the structural changes of the democratic transition period, the use of chemicals is rather low in a European comparison. Agriculture – and sylviculture – plays an important role in maintaining biological diversity, protected and highly protected species, landscape characteristics and other environmental values. In some cases, the inappropriate use of territory, unsustainable agricultural methods (unfavourable pasturage, reaping, underploughing, incorrect water-supply utilisation) can also endanger natural habitats.

The cessation of agricultural activities also poses dangers. Pulling out extensively exploited areas from agricultural use began 30-40 years ago, but it accelerated to a dangerous extent – on agriculturally less favourable areas, the use of territory was typically switched in favour of industrial-commercial functions. With the decrease of extensive stock-breeding, the decrease in permanent grassing areas and the penetration of invasive species can also be observed.

In this new situation, significant numbers of land-owners and land-users have to face the challenge of getting widespread familiarity with recent agricultural (production and environmental economy) and management methods, caused by the estate-structure of a few big and a great number of small holdings.

Box 8 Hungarian urbanisation is characterised by great territorial differences and belatedness. Depending on the geographical area, different communal types are the dominant ones (Transdanubian region: small villages; Great Plain: market towns, farms). After the democratic transition, the number of cities and the level of urban population has increased significantly, but the development of urban functions occasionally did not follow the urbanisation process. Besides, surrounding bigger cities, decentralisation of the urban population has started to appear. This is particularly true to the capital (compared to regional centres, the weight of Budapest is significant, more than one-fifth of the population lives in the capital or its surroundings.)

Box 9

In the National Environmental Programme, the most important drivers have been defined both at society, institutional and structural level (as well as industrial and agricultural production, tourism, transport, water management, land use, settlement structure, etc.). Detailed description and analysis can be found here: http://www.kvvm.hu/cimg/documents/96_2009_OGY_hatarozat_NKP_3.pdf

Box 10 During the MÉTA mapping (see also Box 3), the actual state of habitats has been evaluated by looking at 28 threat types. Threatening factors such as water management, land use (management of woodlands and grasslands), invasive species, urbanisation, habitat fragmentation and the neighbourhood land as well as their impacts were documented in detail. Taking all the habitats into consideration, the most important endangering threats in Hungary are: the spread of invasive species (21 %, i.e. 21% of the total area covered by (semi-)natural vegetation is endangered), overpopulated game (9 %), forestry, managing vast areas in the same, homogenous manner (9 %), drainage (7 %) and bush encroachment (6 %)