As Szeretlekmagyarország.hu reports, numerous species can become endangered in case the generally bad condition of Hungarian waters does not improve. Here is what we need to know about the current situation in experts’ opinion.
Even compared to other Eastern European countries, Hungarian waters’ condition does not reach a good level in ecological terms. In overall, groundwater is in better shape than Hungarian surface water both in amount and from a chemical point of view. However, the worsening state and overuse of surface water can lead to the damage of groundwater, too. Currently, we are in the worst 5 EU member states related to the amount and quality of groundwater.
According to experts, the main problem does not stem from insufficient EU regulations, but from the fact that several countries do not take their responsibility seriously regarding their waters. As Gruber Tamás, wetlands Programme Manager at WWF says,
„In various cases, Hungary has asked for a temporary exemption from improving the condition of surface waters, performing better results after 2027 the earliest. Although there are examples when postponement can be justified, the high ratios of temporary exemptions show that there is lack of determination to improve the situation.”
As we have reported before, Hungarian President János Áder has also stressed the importance of preserving the quality of our waters before our natural resources run out at the World Export Development Forum.
The European Environmental Agency’s latest report shows how European wetlands’ and waters’ condition is worsening even though member states’ struggle to take action for rivers, lakes and inshore waters.
In the European Union, only 40% of the 13,000 examined surface waters reach good quality in terms of ecology, while only 38% can be considered chemically adequate.
„The conditions of our fresh waters are shocking. However, results are not surprising because, in the past 20 years, member states have not taken their legal responsibilities from EU objectives and directives seriously” – says Andreas Baumüllert, Head of the European Office at WWF.
We can only hope that the far-reaching and progressive objectives set by EU regulations can reach its final goal: to improve the overall condition of surface and ground waters by 2027 the latest.