Steppe lake in Trouble – What can we do to prevent the balance from tipping?

Lake Fertő – a shared natural treasure of Austria and Hungary, is facing serious challenges. This unique steppe lake has long been an example of the harmonious coexistence of human activity and nature. However, the lake's delicate ecosystem is now in jeopardy. What can we do to protect it?

Workshop on the hydrological history of Lake Fertő. The task: how to make a scientific text interesting and understandable? © Andrea Kondor
The publication turned out spectacular, illustrated with many original photos and historical maps. © Andrea Kondor

The Fertő landscape, located at the Central European Green Belt, was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status for its cultural diversity and symbiotic relationship with the human environment. This symbiosis seems to be disappearing in the 21st century, as hydrological management is primarily geared to the interests of agriculture and tourism, artificially influencing the water level of the lake, and climate change is further aggravating the situation. Relatively few well-founded studies have been conducted on the effects of potential water replenishment of the Fertő.

The BESTbelt project “Making Lake Fertő more climate resilient” started with the preparation of a study presenting the hydrological history of the lake. The educational publication “The change in the hydrological characteristics of Lake Fertő throughout history” guides the reader through the past of the lake with scientific thoroughness, but in a plain language, presenting the effects of human interventions and how the people living here adapted to natural water level fluctuations in the past centuries. The publication, which explores the hydrological and ecological connections of the Lake Fertő region, can be a compass for the sustainable use of the landscape and the preservation of the lake’s ecosystem, therefore, in the next phase of the project, a series of educational lectures will be launched, within the framework of which residents living around Lake Fertő can also become acquainted with these lesser-known connections.

This education can provide a basis for a dialogue about the future between the local population, agricultural and tourism actors, water management stakeholders, and UNESCO World Heritage management bodies in order to protect the wetland.

 

The BESTbelt project “Increasing resilience of Fertő lake for a changing climate”  is running from January 2025 to April 2026 and is implemented by the Friends of Fertő lake Association. 

For more information, please contact: info@fertotobaratai.eu

Project website: fertotobaratai.eu/index.php/category/bestbelt/