The third largest lake in the country is disappearing. The tourism industry is in trouble
A large lake located 40 km from the capital is slowly drying up. A disaster for tourism seems inevitable.
The shoreline of Lake Velence has already receded several meters. Is Hungary’s third largest reservoir, located about 40 kilometers from Budapest, facing an ecological disaster? According to experts, the water level may drop to 30 centimeters this summer. “Long-term drought, lack of rainfall and decades of mismanagement of water resources have led to a dramatic situation. The lake ecosystem and local tourism are at risk,” writes Euronews.
Lake Velence disappears before your eyes
In mid-May, the water level of Lake Velence in Gárdony reached a critical level. According to the mayor of Pál Árpád Eötvös, the mirror was only 10 centimeters above the lowest level ever recorded. However, it may exceed this level already in June. “The hottest months are still ahead of us. Without heavy rainfall, the water level may drop by half a centimeter a day and drop to about 30 cm by the end of summer,” we read. One of the most important reasons for the current state of affairs, apart from climatic factors, is the drainage of wetlands for agriculture.
A blow to tourism
The increasingly lower water level of Velence will certainly affect local tourism. Even though the season has already started, many companies have decided to temporarily suspend their services. Some owners of motorboat and sailing boat rental companies have already moved to the nearby Lake Balaton, where the situation in previous years was also not good. Changes in Velence are also felt by fish and birds, which are gradually losing their natural habitat. Shallower water also tends to warm up faster, which accelerates algae blooms and significantly worsens water quality.
Unfortunately, it is currently not possible to replenish the shortages with water from other retention reservoirs, because those resources are already used as drinking water storage. Environment Minister Laszlo Gajdos will therefore have to find another way out of this difficult situation.
