Our work for conserving nature includes the protection of our wetlands – especially the fluvo-aquic systems – and our natural forests. Furthermore, we work for ensuring a sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture as well as the rural development. We also work for preserving the protected and endangered habitats and species. Moreover, reducing the impacts of climate change and raising the environmental awareness are also crucial parts of our work.
In order to conserve our national treasures, we focus on four principle areas:
- Climate change and energy
- Protection of forests
- Conservation of rivers and wetlands
- Protection of large carnivores
Through our programmes, we work in the field, empower natural advocacy and raise awareness of people.
We collaborate with national parks, nature conservation authorities, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions and business partners, as well as with local people. At a regional level, we work in close collaboration with WWF offices all over Europe and with other international non-governmental organizations. WWF Hungary is also the member of WWF CEE (the previous Danube-Carpathian Regional Office).
Our achievements in the last 28 years – hand in hand with our partners:
Forests
- New legislation to establish the zoning system in national parks
- Csarna Valley – preservation of 1,000 hectares of intact forests in the Börzsöny mountain range
- Preservation of 418 hectares of Steppe Oak Woods on the Great Hungarian Plain
- 150,000 hectares of forest in national property being continuously wooded thanks to the modification of forest laws
- Encouraging the Natura 2,000 Network
- Surveying the giant trees of Normafa (Buda Hills) and ensuring its sustainable future: development of environmentally friendly tourism instead of a sport centre
- Restoring 100 hectares of floodplain along the bank of Tisza river
- Supporting the environmental management of protected state-owned areas
- Fifty more couple of Saker Falcons
Wetlands
- Protecting the Pond Turtle population at Lake Naplás
- Introduction of 234 Beavers: Hungary’s first success in mammal reintroduction
- Less hydroelectric power plants on the Drava river: the planned Croatian dam at Novo Virje was not established
- Greennovation Award: two grand awards and a special award
- Grazing of 70 Hungarian Greys and 5 Water Buffalos at the bottomland of Tisza river
- Establishing and maintaining 30 workplaces at Tiszatarján
- The revitalization of the Liberty Island and the Danube’s branch: the restoration of an island of 47 hectares and of a 3-kilometer-long branch
- Environmentally friendly water management at Drava
- Restoring and creating wetlands – like the restoration of the Lake Anyita – around Nagykörű, along the bank of Tisza, through 100 hectares approximately
- Establishment of the Mura-Drava-Duna Biosphere Reserve in Hungary and in Croatia, with further expansion across 5 further countries, starting with the planned accession of Serbia, Slovenia and Austria – establishment of a UNESCO biosphere reserve on almost 1 million hectares
- Hindering the harmful and unsustainable navigability developments through the Danube
- Landscape management based on natural characteristics along the bank of Tisza, through 350 hectares
- Civil Society Engagement Strategy and Methodology for the Water Framework Directive
- Reinforcing the natural conservation criteria of the River Basin Management Plan
Climate and energy
- One lignite mine less nearby Aggtelek National Park
- Hindering the construction of a 500 MW coal-fired power plant – 3 million tonnes less carbon dioxide emissions per year
- Panorama of the Hungarian enterprises’ commitments to climate protection
- Climate change adaption strategy of the Danube Delta
- Earth Hour movement held for the 11th time: mobilizing 40,000 individuals for the mitigation of climate change
- Climate Tour: interactive roadshow in 7 countries to encourage people for energy saving
- Assistance to the National Energy Strategy
Large carnivores
- Advanced research on large carnivores: more camera traps are established at Aggtelek Karst
- The role of wolves and lynxes in forests became the society’s great concern
Environmental education and awareness-raising
- Our nature conservation advertisements won seven creative awards
- Six Big Jump events: 4,000 individuals for rivers
- Nature conservation messages have been appearing on the national media for nearly 50,000 times
- A new green event: The Hungarian Nature Day – 22 May.
- WWF menu – meals prepared with seasonal national products and low water footprint consumption, served in 5 restaurants of the capital
- Participation of 10,000 pupils in the Beaver Class Programme series
- Involving 40 schools in our environmental educational programme
- Living Danube Tour: an interactive roadshow presenting our rivers’ flora and fauna in 7 countries, 42 stops and involving 60,000 individuals
- 146,000 followers on our channels
- 20,000 supporters
- Crackdown on smuggling protected bird species by training the border guards and the customs officers
- Green Generation youth talent management: nomination of 20 “Green Ambassadors”
Visit webpage: https://wwf.hu/
