The Institute of Earth Physics and Space Science (ELKH EPSS) in cooperation with GEOMEGA Ltd. drew the first seismotectonic map of Hungary. It clearly shows territories you should never build anything in the country even though Hungary’s earthquake activity is moderate.
According to the Hungarian News Agency (MTI), the Institute of Earth Physics and Space Science (ELKH EPSS) and GEOMEGA Ltd. shared Hungary’s seismotectonic map, which they created using satellite data, and prior geophysical measurements.
The work lasted four years, based on the information from the ELKH EPSS. The new map shows “young and active” fault lines in Hungary. Furthermore, you can also check out the distribution of earthquakes and source mechanisms. Moreover, you can see territories under threat by earthquakes in Hungary. You can check out the map in THIS article, it is the first photo by PTI Communications.
The Nemzeti Kutatási, Fejlesztési és Innovációs Hivatal (National Research Development and Innovation Office) supported the project with HUF 200 million (EUR 503 605).
Hungary’s earthquake activity is moderate, the ELKH EPSS highlighted in their statement. However, that does not mean that all earthquakes remain moderate. It only states that severe earthquakes are rare. For example, we know multiple great earthquakes that caused significant damage and claimed lives. For instance, on 12 January 1956, an earthquake destroyed villages south of Budapest, including Csepel, the capital’s 21st district. On top of that, two people died.
Statistical analysis shows earthquakes stronger than 5 on the Richter scale occur once every 40-50 years. Ipolyinfo.com writes that, in Hungary, earth tremors below 2.5 are typical. Their number can reach even 120 per year, but they cause no damage.
However, in some cases, even one of that kind may cause considerable damage. For example, if it takes place near the nuclear power plant of Paks. That is why experts and architects should know when, why, where they may occur and what mechanism they follow.
The first and most effective line of defence against earthquakes are buildings designed to withstand them. That is why the map helps future designers and architects since it shows where they should consider that option in Hungary. It will also help national infrastructure design processes.
Hungary’s mountains are a true natural wonder, offering a wide range of landscapes, ecosystems, and outdoor adventures. From the high-elevation lookouts of the Bükk Mountains to the peaceful valleys of the Mecsek Hills, Hungary’s mountain ranges offer something for every type of traveller. The country is full of picturesque viewpoints scattered throughout its diverse landscape. Whether you’re an avid photographer, a hiker, or just someone who loves to take in the beauty of nature, you will find plenty of reasons to visit the following lookout points and experience the breathtaking view for yourself.
In this article, we have collected some mountain viewpoints that provide the most astonishing panorama.
Zsófia lookout tower in the Bükk Mountains
The lookout tower in Lillafüred was renovated just this year. It is also known as the first lookout tower in the countryside, with a history dating back to the late 1800s.
The idea of the lookout tower in Lillafüred was first conceived in the late 1890s,
writes boon.hu. The popular tourist destination also won the title of Lookout of the Year this year.
Írottkő
Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org by Darinko
Írottkő is located in the Kőszeg Mountains in the western part of the country, at an altitude of 883 m. It is interesting to note that the border between Austria and Hungary passes right through the building. This means that one half of it belongs to Austria and the other half to Hungary.
Reaching the top of the tower, we can enjoy the beautiful panorama. In clear weather, you can even see Lake Balaton and the Austrian Schneeberg-Rax peaks.
Flóra Rest-Place in the Mecsek Hills
One of the most remarkable attractions of the Mecsek is clearly the Flóra Rest-Place at an altitude of 404 m. Hovewer, an even more remarkable attraction is the so-called Mecsek Swing, which is a three-person swing. It is unclear who constructed it, but it is definitely an unforgettable experience to sit in it and admire the view of Pécs and the surrounding hills.
The lookout tower can be found on Badacsony Hill at Lake Balaton, at an altitude of 438 m. From the top of the tower, visitors can take in the panoramic view of the Tapolca Basin and the surrounding hills. As badacsony.com writes, the tower can be accessed via three main hiking trails: the Stone Gate, the Bujdosók stairs, and the path from Rózsakő through the Hertelendy stairs.
Here is a panoramic view from the lookout tower:
Photo: Wikimedia Commons by Ramessos
While Hungary’s mountain viewpoints are definitely worth visiting during the warmer months, they are also a great destination in the winter. If you’re lucky, you might get to experience the magic of a winter wonderland, with the snow-covered peaks and forests providing a stunning contrast to the clear blue skies. Do not let the colder weather deter you – Hungary’s mountain viewpoints are just as beautiful and worth visiting in the winter as they are in the summer.
Air quality due to pollution is “dangerous” in three settlements in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, in north-eastern Hungary, and in Várpalota in Veszprém County, north-west of Lake Balaton, the National Centre for Public Health (NNK) said on Friday.
Meanwhile, in Miskolc, Salgotarján and Pécs, air quality is in the “unhealthy” category. Poor air quality (the category above “unhealthy”) affects Szombathely, Győr, Tatabánya, Veszprém, Székesfehervár, Dunaújváros, Százhalombatta, Tököl, Budapest, Vác, Kecskemét, Debrecen and Nyíregyháza. Air quality is likely to worsen in the northern counties, the statement added.
The local government of the 5th district (Belváros) of Budapest planted three trees in Szomory Dezső Square. The trees cost more than 100 million while Hungary and all local governments are struggling with the energy and economic crisis. The leadership of the Belváros says the trees are huge and will provide shade next summer, but the opposition believes only the sums are extra-size. Decide it for yourself: we present a photo of the trees below.
According to rtl.hu, the extra-size trees were planted last week in the soil of the Dezső Szomory Square, one of the iconic meeting points of Budapest’s downtown. Using the Stockholm method, the procedure costs multiple times more than traditional tree planting. Főkert, Budapest’s central green management company, said the method is worth utilising when planting lines of trees.
The method’s biggest advantage is that the trees will be healthier and live 2-3 times longer. However, the costs are sky-high. In this particular case, the following items were included in the more than EUR 320 thousand:
purchasing the three trees: EUR 75,000
planting with the Stockholm method: EUR 75,000
automatic irrigation system, the revamp of the electric system: EUR 100,000
additional administration, architectural, design and control measures: EUR 27,000.
The deadline for the project is 30 April. The local government said the trees would provide shade for the residents next summer.
Air quality is dangerous in Miskolc, Putnok, Kazincbarcika, Oszlar, Sajószentpéter, Nyíregyháza and Debrecen in north-east Hungary and in Pécs in southern Hungary, due to a high concentration of airborne particles, the National Public Health Centre (NNK) said on Thursday.
NNK declared air quality to be “objectionable” in Veszprém, Székesfehérvár, Budapest, Tököl, Dorog, Vác, Kecskemét, Szolnok and Salgótarján. NNK declared air quality to be “unhealthy” in Ajka, Várpalota, Győr, Tatabánya, Százhalombatta, Eger and Hernádszurdok.
Carcasses of more than 600 pine thrushes were seized from a Romanian driver en route to Rome on motorway M7 in western Hungary, the National Tax and Customs Authority (NAV) said on Friday.
An inspection of the car’s trailer revealed the frozen carcasses of the thrushes killed with a gun packed in several bags, NAV said in a statement. The driver and the passenger said they had left from Galati with the consignment and had no information either about its content or its dispatcher.
The value of the birds is estimated at 15 million forints (37,000 euros). NAV has filed a report with national police, the authority said in a statement.
Minister of agriculture: Preserving biodiversity common obligation
Hungary invested at an unprecedented level in environmental protection over the past decade in order to preserve its natural resources, Minister of Agriculture István Nagy said at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) in Montreal late on Thursday, local time.
Nagy told the meeting that Hungary’s new agricultural support system involves several measures that promote preserving biodiversity. Thanks to new allocations entering force in January, a significant influence can be made on preserving the diversity of the flora and fauna, considering that over 50 percent of Hungary’s territory is cultivated, he added.
Over the past decade, Hungary has spent over 300 million euros on improving the condition of natural habitats on over 300,000 hectares, representing some 15 percent of protected areas which account for over one-fifth of the country’s territory, he said. In the next five years, nature protection developments are planned on at least 100,000 hectares, with some 112 million euros allocated for the purpose, he added.
Deforestation causes huge problems in the Carpathian mountain range. Despite nature protection measures, illegal tree felling is still prominent. Aggressive logging practices need to stop and to make this happen Greenpeace turned to the European Commission. If the current logging rates keep up, 20 percent of the forests could disappear by 2050.
Illegal logging is still prominent in the Carpathian mountains. In a recent report, Greenpeace found that aggressive tree felling was still ongoing. Based on satellite images, the organisation calculated that about 7,350 square kilometres of forests have disappeared from the Carpathians in the past 20 years. For comparison, this is the size of Paris, Berlin, Rome, Budapest and Brussels combined according to hvg.hu.
Illegal logging
The woods of the Carpathians store a lot of carbon, retain a lot of water and mitigate extreme weather effects. At a first glance, the importance of forests might not seem obvious, but they provide more than just green space. Forests help to control the climate, thus they help to avoid flooding or even droughts. As such, these woodlands are important, not just for environmentalists but also for local communities.
According to calculations from Greenpeace, if the current logging rates do not mitigate the damage will be immeasurable. Compared to forest coverage measured in 2000, by 2050 20 percent of the forests of the Carpathians can be lost. The organisation also initiated an international campaign and a petition to help save the forests. They called on governments and international authorities to urgently do something against illegal practices. To stop illegal practices an international action plan is needed. They also called on the European Union to provide the necessary funding to carry out this plan.
Irresponsible and illegal logging needs to stop, says the organisation. A ban should be implemented on new routes for forestry for about 10 years. This would allow the plan to be implemented and it would help preserve untouched, contiguous woodlands that are not crossed by any roads.
The forest of the Carpathians
The Carpathian Mountains are the second-longest mountain range in Europe. They have one of the most unique ecosystems in the world. Outside of Scandinavia, the Carpathians is the largest area covered by old-growth forests. It has an area five times larger than the territory of Belgium. Despite receiving Natura 2000 status, logging practices did not change. This will have a profound effect on the European ecosystem and the biodiversity of the region could easily collapse. The forest needs time to regenerate, therefore, non-intervention areas are being proposed by Greenpeace.
If you’ve got a thirst to prove yourself, this is the weekend activity for you. Also great for families, these destinations are suitable for all ages. Check out our list of Hungary’s most exciting labyrinths!
Star Trail Adventure Park (Csillagösvény Élménypark), Ópusztaszer
The largest hedge maze in Hungary, the third longest in the world, is located in the Star Trail Adventure Park in the village of Ópusztaszer. You can get information on the history, culture, wildlife and attractions through the 4,810 metres of hedgerows and tree lines. Wooden bridges, lookouts and 32 different folk, logic and skill games enrich the hiking path. Unfortunately, it is currently closed for maintenance but will open in mid-March 2023.
Tiszadob in the Northern Great Plain is home to one of the most beautiful castles in Hungary. The garden of the Andrássy Castle and the bucolic labyrinth is surrounded by a unique line of yew trees. The park has English and French styles in design. It offers an inland opportunity to admire the magnificent buildings and gardens of the former aristocracy. The castle is currently closed for renovation and expected to reopen in April 2023.
Patca offers a wide range of services and games, including a 500 square metre wooden maze, the Wandering Maze (Bolyongó Labirintus). Though the maze at the Ladybird Farm may be too difficult for little ones, you don’t need to worry. In case they get stuck, they can easily get out through the emergency exit. The farm is open throughout the winter, with indoor and – depending on the weather – outdoor activities.
Ecological labyrinth (Ökológiai labirintus), Budapest
The 2,500 square metre, triangular-shaped ecological hedge maze, consisting of around 1,600 evergreen trees, awaits visitors in front of the Palm House of the Budapest Zoo. The correct answers to the questions on the labels in the maze will point you in the right direction.
One of Hungary’s most outstanding historical sites, a centre of ecclesiastical and art history – the labyrinth of the arboretum of Benedictine Abbey is open to the public. Because of its small size, it is not what you would call a maze, with half-metre wide paths reaching a diameter of 15 metres in seven circles. It’s just as perfect for a leisurely stroll.
Maize Maze Festival (Kukorica Útvesztő Fesztivál), Kiszombor
The festival was held for the first time in the town of Kiszombor in the summer of 2009 and has been held every summer since then, always with a different theme in focus. For example, 2009 was the Year of the Buffalo, 2011 the Year of the Ford Model T and 2015 the Year of the Towering Castle. Every year, visitors are welcome from mid-July until the end of August.
It is vital to provide funding necessary for solving the problems caused by the climate and water crises, János Áder, the former Hungarian president, told a preparatory meeting for the 2023 United Nations Water Conference in New York.
One dollar invested today will save six dollars in avoided recovery costs, Áder said on Tuesday local time, citing economists. “The climate and water crisis is already here,” he said. “Though we tried, we were unable to prevent it.”
The world must now adapt to the crisis, Áder said, adding that global, regional and local climate data was needed to determine what needs to be done to overcome it and how much this would cost. The world has the knowledge and technology needed to overcome the problems caused by the crisis, he said, adding that the question was whether it can provide the resources “that transform the intention to act into actual political and economic action”.
Áder proposed that a “plan B” should be formulated in case the world is unable to provide the money needed to address the crisis. This would involve launching pilot projects to prove that such investments are worthwhile, he said.
The projects, he said, could be similar to the development of sewage treatment in Africa, where 80 percent of wastewater is discharged untreated, creating serious environmental, economic, social and health problems. Prior to the meeting, the participants met UN ambassadors to discuss the incorporation of the climate and water crises and data-based decision-making into the 2023 Water Conference.
The Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards have announced their finalists. Among the finalists is a Hungarian photographer, Tímea Ambrus. The final will be decided by a public vote.
The Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards competition was launched in 2015 by Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullan. Their aim is to highlight the funny side of wildlife and to contribute to the fun. “People need fun and laughter alongside what’s happening in the world, and this year’s finalists provide us with that in spades,” they say in a statement.
This year’s list of 40 includes a wide variety of images, from a flying squirrel to a waving penguin and a peeping bear.
There’s a Hungarian entry in the final, with Tímea Ambrus’ photo “I jump instead of flying” also making it into the top 10. Ambrus achieved this recognition from more than a thousand entries, writes sokszinuvidek.24.hu.
The public can vote until 27 November at this link. The public prize winner will win a cash prize of £ 500, and the jury will also select the winners from a professional panel of judges. The results will be announced in the week starting with 8 December.
In an exemplary project, the conservationists of Tata and the representatives of Platán joined forces to create the Bird Guide. It collects more than two hundred and fifty species of birds living around the Tata lakes in a single publication. The book is available in English as well as Hungarian.
Tata is a town of just 23,000, but its reputation is bigger than that. The nickname ‘City of Waters’ is well known, but thanks to the Wild Goose Festival, it has also become a favourite destination for many tourists in addition to birdwatchers. Not far from the capital, it is easily accessible, and history lovers will also find something to see here thanks to the Esterházy family. And if all that wasn’t enough, there is a 200-year-old plane tree on the shore of the Öreg Lake (Old Lake). On top of that, next to it, the Platán empire with some of the best catering in rural Hungary can be found.
Source: HellóMagyar
Source: HellóMagyar
Source: HellóMagyar
Tata: the oasis of waterfowl
Hungary is rich in lakes, but Tata is an exceptional place for birdwatchers. Here, the natural and built environment intertwine, and animals can be seen in a unique way in Europe, almost up close in the heart of the town.
Common shelduck, greater white-fronted goose, European nightjar, water rail, spotted redshank, collared flycatcher, European greenfinch, Eurasian nuthatch, common kingfisher and short-toed treecreeper. The Old Lake of Tata and its surroundings have become famous in Europe primarily as a gathering place for wild geese. However, the area is also a resting and nesting place for many protected and highly protected bird species.
From the end of September to mid-March, wild geese from Scandinavia and Siberia, via the Netherlands and Germany, take over Old Lake and its surroundings. It’s worth visiting the ‘city of waters’ for the spectacular views alone, but if you take more time to explore the area, you can see more than 200 species of birds.
The municipality was awarded the status of Ramsar City a few years ago: for decades, it has been listed as a Ramsar site on one of the most important international lists of wetlands and waterfowl protection. Tata is also part of the EU’s ecological network, Natura 2000, which protects biodiversity.
Bird guide: book, experience, exhibition
The creators of the Bird Guide are Péter Csonka and Szabolcs Kókay. The two nature lovers have been friends for decades and have long been planning to create a guide to the bird species living in and around Tata.
Péter Csonka is a bird and nature conservationist, head of the Duna-Ipoly National Park Directorate (Duna-Ipoly Nemzeti Park Igazgatóság, DINPI), president of the county organisation of the Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Association (Magyar Madártani és Természetvédelmi Egyesület). He has been involved in bird photography since 1999 and is also the founder of the Hundred Valley Nature Conservation Association (Száz Völgy Természetvédelmi Egyesület) and the Tata Wild Goose Festival (Tatai Vadlúd Sokadalom). In 2017, he was awarded the Hungarian Silver Cross of Merit (Magyar Ezüst Érdemkereszt) for his work, and in 2022, he was awarded the Silver Medal for the City of Tata.
Szabolcs Kókay is one of the most important Hungarian nature painters and illustrators, a self-taught artist. Szabolcs Kókay is one of the most important Hungarian nature painters and illustrators, a self-taught artist. He has been featured in the Society of Wildlife Artists exhibition in London and in the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum’s “Birds in Art” exhibition in the US. His work has been awarded several times in the British Birds, Birdwatch Artist of the Year and Spanish Sociedad Gaditana De Historia Natural illustrator competitions. He is the illustrator of several English language textbooks.
“Spending time in nature has an impact on our character, because we are exposed to different impulses. We can smell the scents, see the variety of butterflies, the texture of the bark and rocks of the trees, or the way the air moves across the meadow. It is a proven fact that these experiences make us more balanced,”
says Péter Csonka.
“It’s worth using this Bird Guide with open eyes and ears to experience the wonder that nature has to offer. In nature, we need to open all our senses and let go of any thoughts that might hinder this intimate experience. In nature, we need to purify ourselves, to recharge. Nature walks and birdwatching are not only a great way to build community, but it is also scientifically proven that they have a beneficial effect on our health and the balance of our mind and spirit, which is why it is important to pass on our love of nature to our children and to keep it alive,”
he adds. The Bird Guide provides detailed information on exactly where, when and what birds to look for and observe in the area.
An exhibition of Szabolcs Kókay’s illustrations will open on 14 October at the Esterházy Castle to coincide with the publication of the Bird Guide. The illustrations are remarkable because they show small details of the birds and their environment – their movements, colours and lights – that photographs cannot reproduce.
The exhibition is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 AM to 6.00 PM for a month.
Platán has taken up the initiative
The book could not have been published without adequate funding, but fortunately the authors found a loyal partner. For Platán, which has been operating in a building of the former Esterházy estate in Tata for 13 years and has recently been renovated, an old dream has come true with a book about the wonders of the surrounding nature.
Tata is a very special tourist destination, not only because of its historical and natural values, but also because of its unique gastronomic offer, thanks to Platán. The company has put Tata on the gastronomic map of the country from the very beginning with the Platán Bistro on the lakeside. It has recently become one of the region’s top restaurants thanks to its dedicated team and the transformation achieved through the collaboration of Michelin-starred chef István Pesti and interior designer Zoltán Varró.
Zoltán Varró interior design, Vivien Varga, Platán manager, and Michelin-starred chef István Pesti. Source: Erika Gáncs
The result is the Platán Gourmet Restaurant, which has been awarded the Dining Guide’s Best Country Restaurant of the Year award (az Év Legjobb Vidéki Étterme) for the second time this year. Since its opening, Platán has been committed not only to preserving the spiritual heritage of the Esterházy family and the gastronomic traditions of historical Hungary, but also to preserving the natural values of Tata. (For more information about Platán, please visit Platán Gourmet Restaurant and Courtyard on Facebook, Instagram, Platán Bistro on Facebook, Instagram, Platán Tata website.)
Alpár Kató, founder of Daily News Hungary and Helló Magyar, has personally visited Tata last week:
The eponymous tree, which was brought from Versailles by the Esterházy family in 1785 and is now one of the city’s iconic plants, has been taken care of by the Platán team since its inception. The newly published Bird Guide has also been embraced, and two paintings by Szabolcs Kókay can be bid for on the Platán website for a month. The proceeds will be donated to the Tatai Mecénás Public Foundation and the organisers of the Tata Wild Goose Festival, who will also offer free guided tours around Lake Tata.
Plane tree (Platán fa) planted in 1785. Tata. Source: Alpár Kató
You can buy the book from Monday, 17 October in the Platán and in the shop of the Esterházy Castle for HUF 5500 (EUR 13.3). Platán will also distribute it free of charge to schools in Tata and to the city library.
Varró Design in Tata. Source: Erika Gáncs
Read the Hungarian version of this article on HellóMagyar.
Addressing the Sustainability Expo in Thailand on Thursday, Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s minister of foreign affairs and trade, warned against taking a political or ideological approach to the issue of nature protection.
“We should not allow any political party or political movement to monopolise this issue,” Szijjártó told the event in Bangkok, according to a video uploaded to his Facebook page. Monopolising the green cause will cost it its credibility, the minister said, adding that “we have to fulfil all of our obligations and commitments when it comes to the green agenda.”
Szijjártó said he was proud to represent the country that had been the first European Union member state to ratify the Paris climate agreement and the seventh in the world to pass the principle of climate neutrality into law. Concerning Hungary’s climate goals, Szijjártó noted that the country aims to cut its CO2 emissions by 40 percent by 2030. He said Hungary was among the few countries to have achieved economic growth while reducing its harmful emissions.
Meanwhile, the minister said Hungary ranked 21st in terms of the fulfilment of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. Taking into consideration Europe’s ongoing energy crisis, Hungary’s green commitments and its geographical position, the solution for Hungary is a combination of nuclear and solar energy, Szijjártó said. Nuclear and solar energy, he said, can guarantee a country’s energy independence and protect it from the “irrational volatility of prices on the international energy market”.
Hungary has had positive experiences using nuclear energy over the last 40 years, Szijjártó said, noting that it was a cheap, safe and sustainable energy source. It is for this reason that the government has decided to build a new nuclear power plant which is expected to be operational by 2030.
Szijjártó also called for speeding up the development of solar energy infrastructure, noting the Hungarian government’s support for the installation of solar panels. The minister called attention to Hungary’s stand at the expo which features innovative solar energy and water management solutions.
Opposition LMP on Sunday said it has launched an online forest conservation service. Meanwhile, Hungary’s agriculture minister vowed to protect Hungary’s forests.
Those who see trees being felled unsustainably are encouraged to report it on the website www.erdofigyelo.hu, Péter Ungár, the party’s parliamentary group leader, said on Facebook. Ungar welcomed that the government’s original plan for easing the rules on tree-felling had been overwritten by a ministerial order. But the cabinet’s plan “is completely wrong”, he said, adding that his party believed everything possible must be done to protect Hungary’s forests.
The group leader argued that trees that were cut down this year could not yet be used to solve the country’s energy problems this winter.
Agriculture minister vows to protect Hungary’s forests
The government will protect Hungary’s “green capital”, the minister of agriculture said on Sunday, adding that the country’s forests were safe even under an energy emergency. Hungary’s forestry experts are managing the country’s state-owned forests responsibly, the ministry cited István Nagy as saying.
“We are not putting Hungary’s green capital in danger, but rather protecting it,” Nagy said, adding that the protracted war in Ukraine and related sanctions imposed on Russia by Brussels had triggered an energy crisis in Europe.
To ensure the security of the energy supply of Hungarian families, the government had to create the conditions to allow the use firewood instead of gas for heating where this is an option, he said. That is why the government decided to ease the rules on tree-felling, the minister added.
Nagy emphasised, however, that “contrary to left-wing fake news”, the felling of native tree species in nature conservation or Natura 2000 areas was still banned. Meanwhile, Nagy said that in the recent period the government had allocated funding for growing 44,000 hectares of new forests, 27,000 hectares of which are already complete.
Opposition LMP will submit a draft resolution proposing the withdrawal of a government decree on tree-felling and will also turn to the Constitutional Court over the issue, the co-leader of the party said on Wednesday.
Erzsébet Schmuck told a press conference that the government decree on amended rules to satisfy demand for firewood during the energy crisis-related state of special legal order would enable mass cutting of forests. She noted that LMP had launched a petition drive and had organised a demonstration which attracted thousands of participants.
Schmuck welcomed a ministerial decision issued on Tuesday banning the felling of protected woods. She added, however, that it was not a full solution because the ministerial decision left the government decree “untouched” and this posed several problems.
The decree still enables the felling of trees during the vegetation period and the cutting of black locust trees at age 25 instead of 35, she said. It also enables planting non-native tree types for replacing trees already felled, she added.
LMP will also turn to the Constitutional Court in the next few days asking for a review of the decree and establish that it is in conflict with the basic law, Schmuck said. However, considering that the procedure of the top court may take a long time and immediate action is needed, LMP will also submit a draft resolution to parliament asking for the withdrawal of the decree, she added.
All tree felling will continue to be scrutinised by forestry and environmental protection officials and by national park experts, even after modifications to rules making it easier to harvest firewood, the agriculture ministry’s state secretary for forestry and land said on public radio on Sunday.
Péter Zámbó said the recently issued government decree paves the way for harvesting a large volume of firewood, if necessary in the event of an energy emergency. Experts will still decide on whether or not to issue permits for tree-felling only after inspection of the site, he added.
He said 1.3 million cubic metres of firewood will be harvested in state-owned forests before the end of the year, and the government is also counting on firewood from privately-owned forests.
He added that 3.8 million cubic metres of locust trees, on areas that are not protected, can be legally felled at present, and the felling will start there, if necessary.
Around 13 million cubic metres of wood, of a total of around 400 million cubic metres of living wood stock, is harvested in Hungary each year, Zámbó said. State- and privately-owned forestry companies account for 8-8.5 million of that, of which 3-4 million is firewood, meaning there is close to 4-4.5 million cubic metres of “reserves”, he added.
Starting the harvest of firewood two weeks earlier, in August, will not have any negative effects on the soil or bird life, Zámbó said, noting that trees felled now would yield dry firewood after 90 days.
A recent government decree allowing the felling of trees in the event of an energy emergency will not put Hungary’s forests in danger, the managing director of forestry company Egererdő said on Friday.
Csaba Dobre told public current affairs channel M1 that tree-felling was carried out on line with the country’s strict environmental protection law, and the decree would enter into force only in case of an emergency.
The company which manages forests in the Mátra, Bükk and Borsod hills projects that the 1.3 million cubic metres of firewood planned to be produced this year will be sufficient to satisfy public demand, he added.
The extension of the period allowed for tree-felling does not threaten the forests, either, because the extended drought has already resulted in autumn conditions, he said.
Dobre told public Kossuth radio that 70 percent of the woods managed by Egeredo had the highest ecological value, and these could not be felled even in case of an emergency.
Opposition green parties have launched a campaign to prevent tree-felling for the provision of firewood.
Opposition LMP on Friday staged a protest in front of the Ministry of Agriculture against a recent government decree easing the felling of trees.
In a speech, Erzsébet Schmuck, the party’s co-leader, demanded that the “crazy decree” be repealed. She said the consequences of climate change were increasingly severe, with the central and eastern parts of Hungary suffering from desertification, “a process which will be aggravated by this government decision”.
Hungary would need six times its 2 million hectares of forest area to achieve climate neutrality, Schmuck said. “If there won’t be any forests, then sooner or later we won’t be here, either,” she said, adding that the government’s measures would result in “none of the climate goals being met”.
László Lóránt Keresztes, the head of parliament’s sustainable development committee, said the government needed to be confronted with the consequences of its actions, insisting that “the disgraceful deforestation decree is equivalent to the destruction of nature”. He said scientists, environmental activists and mayors, including ones from the ruling parties, had spoken out against the decree.
Keresztes called on President Katalin Novák to “take a stand against the destruction of national assets”.
Péter Ungár, LMP’s parliamentary group leader, said that while Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was not responsible for climate change, he was the one to blame “for us having a government that isn’t preparing us for the effects of climate change and for why we aren’t doing anything to mitigate them”.
Those who oppose the decree “will prevent this destruction of nature with their physical presence, barricades and local groups set up across the country”, he said.
Opposition LMP on Thursday said it is turning to local councils for help in stopping “deforestation” in Hungary.
Máté Kanász-Nagy, the party’s co-leader, told a news conference that local councils could prohibit the logging of forests under their ownership and put pressure on other forest owners to do the same.
LMP will use every legal and civil mechanism available to prevent mass tree fellings under a government decree issued last week allowing the lumbering of state-owned forests, Kanász-Nagy said.
He said the decree would result in an “intolerable degree of deforestation during a time of climate change, droughts and water shortages”.
No other government in the European Union wants to resolve the climate and energy crises with the clear-cutting of forests and the destruction of green areas, he added.
