In 2012 the project entitled "Sustainable conservation on Natura 2000 sites in Hungary" received a four-year grant, in the amount of CHF 2 009 174 funded by the Swiss-Hungarian Cooperation Programme,.
At the beginning of the project it was known that in the case of Hungarian Natura 2000 sites wetland and forest habitat types are in unfavorable conservation status, as well as some species of community interest are data deficient, so we do not have the necessary assessment of the conservation status data (distribution, population size and the change of trend). The consortium including the Szent István University, the Centre of Ecological Research of Hungarian Academy of Science and BirdLife Hungary/MME has undertaken to move forward in these areas with the above mentioned project. The project aimed to prepare two SPA (Special Protection Natura 2000 area) statutory management plan, as well as the underlying studies and the planning process itself.
The project has developed monitoring methodologies and carried out monitoring activities in case of 6 fish, 3-3 amphibian and reptile, 23 birds, 10 bat and 4 carnivorous mammal species, 5 plant species, status of forests, trends of forest and wetland habitats in unfavorable conservation status, dead trees in forest habitats and game effect on forests. Different methods of data collection were used on sample areas and at national level.
Péter Tóth project magager opens the conference (photo: Dénes Nagy)
By using these data, management plans of Mátra mountains, and the alkali ponds of Kiskunság were prepared using participatory planning, involving farmers and other land-users, over more than 103 484 ha area.
Gabriella Csáka, Swiss Contribution Office greets the conference (photo: Dénes Nagy)
The project has developed the methodology of management planning, the management requirements of the plans were tested on two pilot areas approx. on 250-250 ha, both from economic and ecological point of view. The results of pilot testing were feeded back into management planning.
The work carried out during the past few years of the project was presented at the project closing conference organised in Gödöllő on 27 October 2016.
Presentations are available on the links below in Hungarian.
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In 2006, a referendum in Switzerland decided that CHF 1,3 billion would be spent on supporting the catching up of countries acceding to the European Union in 2004 in order to reduce social and economic disparities within an enlarged EU. In June 2012, Hungary successfully committed the full amount of the Swiss Contribution, i.e. approximately HUF 31 billion, as a result of which 37 different projects, programmes and funds have been supported.
For further information on the Swiss Contribution see. http://www.svajcihozzajarulas.hu and http://palyazat.gov.hu/svajci_hozzajarulas.