On Thursday, the Institute of Water and Environmental Management of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management of the University of Debrecen held a conference on water management in Debrecen and its surroundings on the occasion of World Water Day.
László Stündl, the dean of the faculty, emphasized to MTI that the conference aims to adopt a statement that reflects the positions on water management, issues related to climate change and how the water arriving in the region can be used in the smartest way, how can it be delivered there, where it is most needed, how it can be kept there, and in which direction urban water management should go.
István Láng, the Director General of the National Directorate General of Water, called the reduction of the groundwater resources and the lowering of the level of the Alföld the biggest water management problem in the region. Without stopping and reversing the process, not only the soil will dry out, but the wetlands will also disappear, and the lack of water will also affect the climate, he said. He added that the Tisza-Körös Valley Cooperative Water Management System (TIKEVIR), which distributes water taken from the Keleti main canal in the Tiszalök region to almost the entire Alföld area, is a solution, but the system is outdated and in need of reconstruction. It is also necessary to solve the problem of resupplying the wetlands, which play an important role in groundwater replenishment, but have already dried up, with water – he noted.
Balázs Győrffy, the president of the National Chamber of Agrarian Economy, spoke about the fact that the amount of surface water arriving in Hungary has decreased in the last decade, and this also affects the underground water supply. He emphasized that technical solutions that help retain water must be used, as this is the only way to ensure water for irrigation in agriculture.
He also spoke about the fact that the size of the irrigated areas in the country is extremely low compared to the European Union average, and the farmers’ irrigation needs far exceed the current possibilities. He added that it is necessary to create the forms of water supply that farmers can access by managing the available tender resources well, thereby increasing their performance.
(MTI)
