Could thermal water save Hungary’s biggest agricultural region?

Southern Hungary’s Great Plain, once one of the country’s most productive agricultural regions, is increasingly resembling a semi-desert. Cracked soil, drifting sand and disappearing groundwater have become familiar sights across the Homokhátság area, where years of drought and poor water management are pushing the landscape towards irreversible degradation.

Dire situation in Hungary’s agriculture

Local farmer Oszkár Nagyapáti has witnessed the transformation first-hand. He told Euronews, that on land that once supported crops and grazing, he now finds groundwater sinking ever deeper below the surface. According to him, conditions worsen each year, leaving farmers increasingly helpless in the face of advancing aridity.

Researchers describe the Homokhátság as a rare example of a semi-arid zone emerging in Central Europe. Studies link the phenomenon to a combination of climate change, declining rainfall, river regulation and inadequate water retention. Historic flooding from the Danube and Tisza rivers once replenished soils naturally, but decades of river channelisation have cut the region off from these life-giving waters.

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Can thermal water be the key to save our soil?

In response, a grassroots initiative led by Nagyapáti is attempting an unconventional solution: using surplus thermal water from nearby spas to restore moisture to the land. Hungary is renowned for its deep geothermal resources, yet large quantities of warm water are often released unused into canals.