Living Landscape - restoration of a landscape mosaic along the Hungarian Green Belt

Challenge 

The heavily modified terrestrial surface in Hungary increased from 10% to 20% between 1990 and 2021, leading to a loss of 1 million hectares for biodiversity. The European Green Belt, an exceptional zone in western Hungary, is a vital area for conservation. However, intensive agriculture, greenfield investments, and infrastructure development threaten the integrity of this unique landscape.

Objective

The project's aims are:

• Restoring the landscape's ecological functions through small-scale interventions applied across large areas.
• Promoting modern, evidence-based grassland management practices to support biodiversity conservation.
• Transforming public attitudes to help halt further land use expansion.

Approach

The project will achieve its aims through:

• Habitat creation and connectivity initiatives – including veteran trees, hedgerows, and wetlands.
• Training for future conservationists and land managers.
• Raising awareness – surprising the public with little-known facts about land use and its impacts.

Expected Results

By the end of the project we expect to have:

• Established 10 veteran tree reserves, restored 2km of tree lines and hedgerows and improved 4km of water retention to enhance the landscape mosaic.
• Held 2 stakeholder workshops and a youth camp, created an outdoor educational trail.
• Produced a series of Living Landscape factsheets to promote new, sustainable approaches to farming.
• Published 2 short films, online educational materials and launched public campaigns to change public attitudes and stop further land conversion.

Overall, this project will create positive changes on landscape-scale and restore and enhance macro-ecological functions.