Hungary Drought Water Conservation

Record-low water levels at Lake Velence have made boating difficult and closed swimming beaches, offering a stark view of Hungary’s worsening water crisis. Years of drought and climate-driven heat are being compounded by a water-management system built to drain precipitation from fields, wetlands and soil. As other lakes shrink and the Danube falls low enough to threaten operations at Hungary’s only nuclear plant, experts are urging the restoration of wetlands, wider floodplains and changes in agriculture. Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s government has promised a national water conservation program, infrastructure repairs and a fundamental shift toward retaining water.