PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Proposal title: Restoration of grasslands in Budapest by re-establishing traditional land use methods, surface water retention and community-driven activities in favour of improved urban biodiversity and climate
Short title of the project: Biodiverse City LIFE
Project status: in progress
Source: LIFE
Total budget of the project: EUR 3 608 377.05
Grant from the EU LIFE programme: 2 165 026.23 euro
Consortium own funds: 1 443 350.82 euro
Coordinator of the project: Municipality of Budapest (https://budapest.hu/zold-budapest/life-biodiverz-varos/english-version-technical-description-of-the-project)
Other beneficiaries (project partners):
Budapest Public Utilities Company (BKM)
(https://budapestikozmuvek.hu/biodiverse-city-life-projekt)
Budapest Sewage Works (FCSM)
Pilis Park Forestry (https://parkerdo.hu/termeszetvedelem/termeszetvedelem-a-parkerdoben/biodiverse-city-life-projekt/)
Birdlife Hungary (MME) (https://mme.hu/en/node/6458)
Municipality of Óbuda-Békásmegyer (https://klima.obuda.hu/life/)
Óbuda-Békásmegyer Urban Development Nonprofit Ltd. (Affiliated partner) (https://obvf.hu/life-mocsarosdulo/)
Co-financing partner: Municipality of Újbuda
Two other civil society organizations, the Green Future Environmental Protection Association and the Hungarian Environmental Education Association, play a significant role in the implementation of the project.
Project start: 1. September 2024
Project end: 31 August 2031
Duration of the project: 84 month
Public engagement: public forums, stakeholder events, volunteer program
Project description
The Biodiverse City LIFE is an area-based nature conservation project that focuses on valuable grassland habitats and forests within the Pannonian biogeographic region (Pannonian saline steppes and marshes, sub-Pannonian steppes, Pannonian downy oak forests, alder and ash groves).
By restoring degraded grasslands, wetlands and, to a lesser extent, forests, the project will improve the conservation status of 271 hectares of habitats, which is expected to increase the population of 20 indicator species, including 8 species of Community (European) importance, improve ecosystem services and mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.
The works are taking place at three main sites (Mocsáros, Tétényi Plateau and Kőérberek). Some of the project’s locally protected natural and semi-natural habitats are included in the European Union’s Natura2000 network.
The project takes an integrated approach to nature conservation. In urban environments, it is appropriate to involve local residents in nature conservation efforts in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the results. Therefore, the project targets the causes and consequences of the harmful human impacts on the natural environment of Budapest, thus encouraging sustainable urban landscape use practices and the peaceful coexistence of nature and urban lifestyle. The aim is to raise awareness of the value of urban biodiversity and ecosystem services, in such a way that the main project sites and the urban green spaces of the Wild Budapest program also serve as a showcase, awareness-raising and community participation. As a result of the project, the extent of local protected areas will increase significantly, urban biodiversity and ecosystem services will improve, thus the work carried out will significantly contribute to the implementation of the European Biodiversity Strategy 2030.
The field work will focus on three local protected areas in the capital, of which our Company will establish water infrastructure elements in two project areas in order to achieve the project objectives: in the Mocsáros nature reserve and in the Kőérberek area.
Mocsáros Nature Reserve
The 75-hectare project area is mainly bordered by suburban areas and is closed to the south by the railway line. This could become one of the largest and most valuable wetlands in the capital, but is currently made up of patches of habitat in very different conditions. 24.3 hectares on the northern side of the area has been a local nature reserve since 1994, but is suffering significantly from current land use and illegal human activities. It was first drained and converted into agricultural land, and then designated for housing development in the 1980s. Fortunately, construction did not begin, but the unsettled conditions lasted until 2021, when the Budapest Municipality reclassified most of the green space of Mocsáros into land use categories not intended for development. Very soon after winning the LIFE application, the size of the Mocsáros nature reserve increased to 75 hectares from April 1, 2024. The conditions necessary for the elimination of ruins, water management ensuring more favorable water management, the establishment of nature-friendly grazing, and the conversion of tree plantations into native forests have been created.
Tétényi Plateau Nature Reserve
The total area is 130 hectares, of which 103 hectares have NATURA 2000 status. The Tétényi Plateau Nature Reserve is the largest locally protected area on the Buda side of the capital. After centuries of deforestation, the soil has been degraded, but extremely valuable herbaceous plants have appeared on the dry grasslands, and lowland and mountainous species also occur close to each other. It was used as a military training ground for a long time, which damaged the nature, but also prevented development and kept visitors away. Abandoned military buildings have survived in the area, providing shelter for the homeless. The main problems in the area are caused by the encroachment of invasive species (idols, silver trees, acacias), which occur in large numbers in the former military training areas, as well as waste dumping, off-leash dog walking and off-road horse riding. The development of the surrounding areas increases the number of residents in the area and the resulting recreational pressure.
Kőérberek area
Currently, the size of the local protected area is 41.8 hectares. It is one of the largest remaining wetlands in South Buda. There are reed beds, marsh meadows, and temporary water bodies along the canals. In order to facilitate the extraction of medicinal water, drainage ditches were created in the project area, which gradually dried up the wetlands. In recent years, the Metropolitan Municipality has begun the restoration of wetlands based on well-thought-out plans.