BESTbelt project contributes to new perspectives on sustainable landscape management

Landscape Consultations under BESTbelt stress Hungary’s urgent need for radical land-use change. A developed resolution urges decision-makers and political actors to acknowledge this necessity and take responsibility for future sustainability.

 

Since the 1989 Soviet regime change, Hungary has lost approx. one million hectares of agricultural land, much of it replaced by housing estates, shopping centers and highways. This ongoing trend shows no signs of slowing, threatening both the landscape and fertile soils.

Recent meetings by the BESTbelt project „Living Landscape - restoration of a mosaic landscape along the Hungarian Green Belt” were marked by interactive discussions, in which participants debated an 11-point draft declaration. Numerous proposals enriched the draft, reflecting strong community involvement. The project calls for the protection of undeveloped land as an environmental resource, and for strict limits on new construction to be enshrined in higher-level legislation. It is crucial to freeze greenfield investments and provide regularly updated statistics on land conversion. An international strategy to reduce built-up areas is  also needed. Key priorities include restoring sustainable landscape management, improving existing infrastructure rather than building new roads, designing new rural retention policies, and restructuring agriculture to achieve long-term sustainability. Priority state investments should be carefully reviewed. A healthy society and a sustainable economy can only be built on a healthy landscape.

A presentation of the DEDES Project, an agroecological initiative promoting regenerative farming, habitat restoration, rainwater retention, tree planting, decentralized irrigation, and rotational grazing— showed possible practical steps toward resilience and landscape protection. Regenerative grassland management can be a very good model project for the entire border area.

 

 

These activities are part of the EU-funded BESTbelt project "Living Landscape - restoration of a mosaic landscape along the Hungarian Green Belt", which is implemented by the Barn Owl Foundation in collaboration with the Őrség National Park Directorate from October 2024 to July 2026.

For more information contact: Ákos Klein (project coordinator): barnowlfoundation(at)gmail.com; The Barn Owl Foundation