Every day, Hungary’s natural land area shrinks by the size of a large factory

What is the upper limit on urbanisation in a country? As we grapple with increasingly serious climate issues, this question is becoming ever more pressing, and will sooner or later have a direct impact on those in the construction industry. In this regard, we encountered this looming trend during an interview with State Secretary Regő Lánszki interview: according to data from the Chief Architect of Hungary, between 2009 and 2019 alone, 5 per cent of the country’s green spaces were built on.

Thanks to the researchers who published the ‘Declaration for a Liveable Future’, even more significant figures have now come to the fore:

According to data published by the Green Policy Center Green Policy Workshop (MTI), an area equivalent to 11–13 football pitches, or 4.5–10 hectares, is removed from the natural cycle every day in Hungary due to construction or paving (this amounts to 50–100 thousand square metres, which is equivalent to the size of a large factory building – ed.).

As a result of this process, the country’s agricultural land has decreased by approximately 1.4 million hectares – a reduction of nearly 22 per cent – since 1990. The total area of agricultural land in Hungary, which stood at around 6.4 million hectares at the time of the political transition, is set to shrink to approximately 5 million hectares by 2024. According to a statement by experts, this trend is unsustainable, poses environmental, economic and social risks, and directly threatens the country’s food security and water retention capacity.

In the statement, systems ecologist Ferenc Jordán emphasised that soil is a non-renewable resource, and that areas covered in concrete are lost to nature and agriculture for decades at a time. Moreover, development projects often affect the highest-quality arable land.

If we concrete everything over, our towns will become unliveable

In addition to the above, the report also highlights the underutilisation of the domestic housing stock. According to the researchers’ data, whilst new homes are constantly being built, more than 570,000 residential properties in Hungary stand vacant, accounting for 12.5 per cent of the total stock. This represents a significant increase compared with the 9.2 per cent rate recorded in 2001.

Building new buildings instead of renovating existing ones is not only unsustainable, but also a practice that is downright environmentally destructive – they point out.

„If we concrete everything over, our cities will become unliveable. Rainwater cannot seep into the ground, and plants cannot cool their surroundings. A dry, stone-covered expanse pulsing with heat is not a home, but a lifeless wasteland,” the statement quotes Alexandra Köves, an ecological economist. She added that paved ground is also unable to absorb carbon dioxide.

The report also discusses the density of the domestic road network, which is high by international standards: in 2023, the total length of the network reached 219,000 kilometres. On average, there are 22.81 metres of road per Hungarian resident, whereas this figure is 13.85 metres in Austria, 11.91 metres in the Czech Republic and 8.3 metres in Slovakia. According to experts, the declining population and domestic population density do not justify the construction of new roads.

Even a single hectare of land can yield a great deal

In the statement, climate researcher Diána Ürge-Vorsatz highlighted that concrete surfaces can heat up to 30 degrees Celsius more than their surroundings during the summer heat. They also radiate heat at night, which increases the heat load and the demand for cooling energy.

In the appeal, biologist János Zlinszky points out that one hectare of soil loosened to a depth of 10 centimetres could store as much as 25,000 bath tubs’ worth of water. However, due to paving, rainwater cannot seep in during heavy rainfall, which leads to flash floods and subsequent droughts.

This could be the solution

According to researchers, rather than halting construction projects, a change of direction is needed. They are calling for more efficient use of the existing building stock, a focus on brownfield development, and stricter soil protection regulations.

Experts are hoping to raise public awareness of this issue and the disappearance of green spaces through a photography competition. Photos depicting excessive development, unnecessary concreting and damage to nature are being accepted until 30 June www.aklimatudomany10uzenete.hu. The selected photos will be displayed in an exhibition over the summer.