Water policy innovations and their further development possibilities based on the experiences of the 2025 drought protection and the results of the InnWater research program

Abstract

Hungary’s water management is facing increasing challenges due to the increasing droughts and regional water shortages due to climate change. The study, based on the experience of the 2025 summer drought management activities presents the operation of the extended Tisza–Körös Valley Cooperative Water Management System (TIKEVIR) and the results of the applied, time-scheduling based coordinated water resource management. The analysis shows that in 2025, the resource-oriented management covering the entire Tisza Valley was able to satisfy the communal, agricultural, industrial and ecological water needs together, so that a positive surface water balance was established at the sub-catchment level. The joint application of the drought protection action plan and the “Water into the Landscape!” program increased the available water resources, also having a positive impact on the groundwater level in some regions. The scheduling fairly addressed conflicts arising from downstream-upstream location, ensuring equal access for all water users. The ex-post cost-benefit analysis conducted for the area of the Middle Tisza Water Directorate confirms that the water management decisions made in 2025 were economically rational and served the public good in a measurable way. The study concludes that the practice in 2025 set the direction for future sustainable, systemic water resource management and proposes water policy instruments to apply.