Hungarian Journal of Hydrology

Előszó

Veronika — 2026-06-29

2026_Special Volume_Water into the Landscape!

Why “Water into the Landscape!”? And if so, how?

József Váradi — 2026-06-29

The lack of water has been with us for many decades. István Széchenyi formulated this problem in his work titled Hitel (1830) in connection with the analysis of economic relationships: “there is not enough water where it should be, while there, where it is of no use, there is enough, perhaps even too much” (Széchenyi 1930). Today, due to the excess of water as an economic resource, water is being spotlighted as an element influencing the climate, as a pledge for the preservation or rescue of our natural values, and this is also one of the key standards for managing it. Nature conservation was the first to announce that the new direction of domestic water management should be characterized by the slogan “Water into the landscape!” Water affairs took the lead in this initiative in 2022 and knows how to do this, but what is needed for knowledge to become a reality?

Implementation of the “Water to the Landscape!” program – Conflicts, compromises, solu-tions

István Láng — 2026-06-29

As a result of climate change, the available water resources are changing. Meeting existing or increasing water needs requires interventions at the national level as well. In the face of increasing needs, the decrease in available water resources is the most fundamental problem in the fields of agriculture and nature conservation. While the water demand in agriculture is increasing due to the increasingly frequent drought, in natural areas, due to drought and water shortage, it is necessary to replenish the natural water demand for the functioning of aquatic ecosystems and the preservation of their ecosystem services. In the field of water management, it has become necessary to balance the availability of water resources and compensate for extremes. Taking into account the geographical conditions of Hungary, various solutions for possible developments have come to the fore in our hilly regions, ridges and floodplain areas of our rivers. The need for water retention highlights solutions that need to be re-evaluated both in terms of their capabilities and in terms of the potential elimination of their potential drawbacks. All of this causes conflicts among those involved, which can be eliminated through consensus, but with minimal compromises.

Implementation of the “Water to Changes in groundwater resources with focus on climate resilience

Balázs Kovács — 2026-06-29

There are numerous signs pointing to a decline in groundwater resources over the past decade. In order to examine the reasons for the changes in our groundwater resources and the driving forces behind these processes, we need to review the changes in the inflow and outflow sides of the water budget. Based on all this, it is possible to make predictions about changes expected in the near and distant future and to seek solutions to reduce the effects of unfavorable processes and reinforce favorable ones. It is necessary to analyze changes in the quantity and quality of groundwater resources, rethink priorities, and develop a new strategy accordingly in order to eliminate the adverse effects of climate change. The results of the analysis of these processes suggest that the most important driving forces of water resource depletion are increased evaporation caused by rising temperatures and reduced infiltration due to a lack of solid precipitation. With the current approach to water management, the country's groundwater resources will become unsustainable in the future, and the increasing shortage of water resources will lead to increasingly serious water supply difficulties for the population and industry, as well as ecological problems.

Changes in our surface water resources in the Lower-Tisza Valley, experiences and prospects in the light of climate change

Péter Kozák — 2026-07-13

The Lower Tisza river basin has unique hydrological characteristics due to its location and topography. In terms of flood occurrence, there are river valleys that have only a few days advance warning of the onset/peak of floods, but there are also those that give operational flood control managers up to 10 days' advance warning. Floods can subside within a few days, but in the case of the Tisza, floods can last for several months. Due to the soil conditions, topography, and land use of the catchment area, it is particularly susceptible to inland flooding. Combating droughts and water shortages has been a major challenge in the past and remains so today. Given the severity of water shortages, considerable attention is being paid to both surface and groundwater resources.

Changes in groundwater resources Meteorological background of the extreme drought of 2025

Ákos Horváth — 2026-06-29

This study presents the meteorological background of the extreme drought in Hungary in 2025. Extreme droughts have also occurred frequently in previous years, especially in 2022, causing serious difficulties in water management and agriculture. The lack of precipitation in 2022 was primarily related to the extremely warm air advection into the region, when the atmosphere was able to absorb much more moisture while remaining unsaturated than the surface could evaporate. However, the background of the 2025 drought was fundamentally due to large-scale, synoptic-scale circulation reasons. The western flow zone systematically moved further north of the Carpathian Basin, and the weather was determined by anticyclone edge situations. The stabilization of the atmosphere and the increased strengthening of the basin effect provided unfavourable conditions for precipitation formation processes.

The relationship between agriculture and water management in the face of depleting resources

Tibor Biró — 2026-06-29

Of all the sectors of the economy, agriculture is the most heavily affected by climate change. Crop production, with its inflexible and conservative structure, is struggling to adapt. A radical transformation of land use, crop rotation, and soil cultivation systems appears necessary, given that the potential for water supply through irrigation is severely limited. The insufficient size of irrigated areas is not just due to technical reasons; rather, the real causes lie in the structural problems of the agricultural sector. The widespread adoption of water-conserving farming practices is not just an option, but the only viable path toward implementing adaptations that mitigate the effects of climate change

The Wastewater as an untapped resource – our situation and what needs to be done

Ferenc Gorján — 2026-06-29

From a hydrological perspective, the climate is changing unfavourably for us; but at the same time, we use declining water resources, and in some places, we overuse them. The use of wastewater and polluted waters (rainwater, urban runoff) as potential resources should and must be investigated. In Hungary, approximately 687.4 million m3 of water is extracted annually by water utility providers, of which 481.1 million m3 is utilized (sold), and of this, industry requires 105 million m³ of water. Of the 687.4 million m3 of extracted water, 561.2 million m³ of treated wastewater is generated; therefore, there is ample potential in terms of quantity to meet the water needs of industry (105 million m³). By implementing appropriate strategies, dialogues and actions, the burden on valuable drinking water resources can be greatly reduced. This is not an easy task, but it is not impossible either. The article examines this issue, briefly presenting the example of Debrecen.

Oases in the Desert - Water Conflict and Water Consensus Through the Eyes of Journalists

Barnabás Borbás — 2026-06-29

In the FORUM section, we open up space for special, or perhaps surprising, professional discussions and exchanges. In our section, we present the thoughts of Barnabás Borbás, an online journalist for Válasz.