The water level of yet another Hungarian lake has fallen to a critical low, meaning visitors to the Bölömbika lookout, which has seen better days, are now confronted with a dispiriting scene of environmental devastation rather than spectacular views and abundant wildlife. Check out the latest photos in our article below.
Nature horror from Hungarian lake lookout
Nature lovers visiting one of the Tisza Lake’s best-known attractions, the Bölömbika lookout, have recently been met with a deeply disappointing sight. The landscape around the lookout has changed dramatically: areas once covered by water are now dry lakebed, leaving the structure effectively standing on dry land.
The transformation is particularly striking in new photographs taken by the Madárpart Hiking Centre, Rental Service and Campsite. From the images, it is difficult to imagine that the lookout was once surrounded by water. The present condition of the landscape illustrates the dramatic consequences of the Tisza Lake’s water level falling to an exceptionally low point.
The situation is even more pronounced in the Tiszavalk Basin. The area has almost completely dried out, while the lake itself is registering an unusually low water level. Not only has the familiar landscape disappeared; the conditions that once made the area attractive to hikers and water-sports enthusiasts have also been severely compromised.
Historic drought, drying rivers and vanishing lakes
Hungary is enduring a historic drought, with water levels in its lakes, rivers and streams repeatedly falling to record lows. Lake Velence, once renowned for its thriving tourism, sporting events and festivals, is now in its final throes. Even at Lake Balaton, Hungary’s so-called “sea”, swimmers must walk a considerable distance before reaching water deep enough for a swim.
The Danube’s level was so low in July that the Paks nuclear power plant had to be almost entirely shut down. A submerged weir was subsequently built to raise the water level and ensure that sufficient cooling water could be drawn from the river during periods of extreme low flow such as the present one.
The Tisza is also exceptionally low, while one of its tributaries, the Zagyva, has dried up altogether. The same has happened to the Tarna, the Galga, the Bózsva stream, the Morgó stream, the Tápió and the Hajta. Lake Kolon, a strictly protected habitat in the Kiskunság region, had already dried out by the beginning of summer, as had Lake Bicsérd in Transdanubia and Lake Kocs in the Balaton Uplands.
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Not just a Hungarian problem
Lake Öreg in Tata, like the Tisza Lake, is experiencing exceptionally low water levels; the same is true of Lake Balaton and Lake Velence. The extreme conditions require swift action from the Government, as forecasts suggest that summers in Hungary will remain hot and dry as climate change and global warming intensify.
The exceptionally dry summer is not a uniquely Hungarian phenomenon. Its consequences are being felt across every area of life, from agriculture and tourism to energy production. Romania was forced to shut down its only nuclear power station because of the Danube’s exceptionally low level, while in Italy the Isonzo – a river familiar from the battles of the First World War – has dried up.
Hungarian agriculture, as we know it, is nearing the end – but researchers already have a plan
