Climate Change and Water Mismanagement Push Hungary’s Lake Velence Toward Record Low Levels

BUDAPEST: Hungary’s third-largest lake, Lake Velence, is expected to reach record low water levels this summer as the combined effects of climate change and decades of poor water management continue to threaten the lake’s ecosystem and tourism-dependent economy, according to experts and local residents.

Located about 40 kilometres west of Budapest, Lake Velence is a popular recreational destination known for its beaches, sailing and water sports. However, experts warn that falling water levels could soon make many of these activities difficult or impossible.

Recent scenes around the lake have highlighted the severity of the situation. Children have been playing on newly exposed sandbanks extending far beyond the normal shoreline, while rental boats remain stranded at jetties now separated from the water by stretches of dry sand.

Data released by the National Directorate General for Water Management showed that the lake’s water level measured 56 centimetres on Wednesday in the town of Agard, only three centimetres above the historic low of 53 centimetres recorded during the severe drought of 2022. Earlier this year, water levels had hovered around 80 centimetres.

Experts warn that unless substantial rainfall arrives in the coming weeks, water levels could continue to fall by approximately half a centimetre per day, potentially dropping to as low as 30 centimetres by the end of summer.

Tibor Horanyi of the Association of Great Lakes said the historic low could be surpassed within days.

“The water level will drop at least 25 to 30 centimetres in the next 30 to 40 days, and the historic low will be broken within days,” Horanyi said.

While climate change has intensified drought conditions and increased evaporation rates, Horanyi argued that long-term water management policies have also contributed significantly to the crisis. He pointed to decades of drainage projects that converted wetlands into agricultural land, reducing the natural systems that once helped regulate and replenish the lake’s water supply.

Environmental experts warn that continued declines in water levels could have serious consequences for biodiversity, fish populations and wetland habitats, while also undermining tourism and local businesses that rely on visitors during the summer season.

The situation at Lake Velence has become a growing symbol of the environmental challenges facing Central Europe as rising temperatures, prolonged droughts and water management issues place increasing pressure on freshwater resources across the region.