Inland Water Could Mean a Solution to Droughts

In the latest episode of his podcast “Blue Planet”, former Head of State János Áder talked to István Nagy, Minister of Agriculture, about the preservation of land, water, and ecological diversity.

The former president of the Republic and the minister stressed that farmland is a diverse ecosystem; without the fungi, bacteria, and other organisms it contains, there is no sufficient quantity and quality of food.

János Áder believes that surface water is threatened by pollution and groundwater by over-exploitation. He stressed that

irrigation technology is poor in most parts of the world, food waste is increasing, forests the size of Italy are disappearing from the Earth every year, and at least as much soil is being destroyed.

István Nagy confirmed this, saying that it was not enough that “we are losing land to urbanization and industrial development, but the quality of existing farmland is also deteriorating.” The minister justified the creation of the soil monitoring system, providing a comprehensive picture of soil fertility in all parts of the country.

The Minister of Agriculture stressed that all types of soil should be cultivated in the most appropriate way. It is also important that organic matter is not lost from the soil and that everything is returned to it.

Hungary is capable of providing basic food for 20 million people, however in the coming years, due to drastic climate change, all farmland must be cleared to ensure this,

Nagy highlighted.

Water quality is not the most important problem for Hungary, as all rivers leave the country in better condition than when they arrived.

A bigger problem is the retention and storage of inland water.

Nagy noted that water used to be a threat of flooding, whereas today, drought is the most pressing issue, which in addition to climate change, is also due to the fact that large parts of the forests in the catchment areas have been cut down. He pointed out that last yea the Danube had a 40 percent drop in water yield, while the Tisza had a 60 percent drop. At the same time, he said that

in order to deal with drought, ecological water replenishment must be addressed and inland water must be seen not as a natural disaster but as a resource.

In the coming years, it will be important to raise groundwater levels and increase the irrigable agricultural area from the current 90,000 hectares to 500,000 hectares, the minister noted, pointing out that planning for new canals and reservoirs has started and HUF 75 billion (EUR 197 million) will be allocated for the construction of irrigation works.

Consumption needs to be reviewed, while at the same time the opportunities offered by technological progress must be used responsibly to ensure sustainable production, Nagy concluded.

Via MTI, Featured image via Facebook/Szabados Tibi Photography