Drought threatens Hungarian lake with environmental crisis

Activists and environmental experts in Hungary say the effects of climate change and insufficient infrastructure are colliding to threaten the country’s third-largest natural lake with an economic and ecological crisis

GARDONY, Hungary -- Lake Velence, a shallow, freshwater lake in central Hungary, is a haven for over 100 types of birds, dozens of species of fish and throngs of tourists who come to bathe in its waters for relief from the hot summers. But many of the lake’s visitors, both animal and human, have disappeared as extreme heat has brought the water to dangerously low levels, something activists and environmental experts say threatens the country’s third largest natural lake with an economic and ecological crisis. They say climate change and insufficient infrastructure are colliding, with devastating effect. The lake has lost nearly half of its water in the past two years as hot, dry summers have led to accelerating evaporation and deteriorating water quality. “We are talking about years of rainfall deficit, drought and a continuous water shortage,” said environmental management engineer and activist Tibor Horanyi. “For years we’ve seen what role global warming is playing in our lives, and it’s clearly connected to this low water level.”