Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

The only Mem- ber State where sufficient terri- tories have been designated for the conservation of species and habi- tats of European importance, with no new site desig- nations necessary [ ] 121 Ahead of schedule on biodiversity Steps to implement CBD objectives include a wide range of activities with good results in many areas, including the protection of birds of prey and action to reverse the decline of endangered species. Hungary has also taken strong measures to save the environment from genetically modified organisms by developing a GMO-free agricultural strategy and was one of the first Parties to sign the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing in 2011. In total, Hungary has 10 nation- al parks, 39 landscape protection areas and 169 nature conservation areas of national importance. Bogs, mires, alkaline lakes and all caves are protected by law. Many areas are preserved in close to natural state, allowing ecological processes to take place mostly undisturbed. Hungary’s ecological network contains protected areas, buffer zones, Natura 2000 sites, environmentally sensitive areas and natural areas. The main purpose of the ecological network is to contribute to the overall protection, maintenance and enhance- ment of biodiversity, thus also helping the effective implementation of the CBD. An important aspect of the net- work is its role in promoting biological connections between different areas. With 525 sites in total, Hungary’s Natura 2000 network consists pri- marily of national parks and land- scape protection areas. The propor- tion of grasslands under protection is more than double the EU average. Over half of the national protected areas are forests and over 70 per cent of inland waters belong to the network. In 2011 the European Commis- sion evaluated the completeness of the country’s Natura 2000 network. The evaluation found that Hungary is at present the only Member State where sufficient territories have been designated for the conservation of species and habitats of European importance, and no new site designa- tions are necessary. The Natura 2000 network was judged to be sufficient for all habitats and species of EU importance, and the designation was declared complete. Tiszaörvényi Hajóállomás, Tiszafüred, Hungary Hungary T he Hungarian Parliament’s 2015 adoption of a National Biodiversity Strategy 2015–2020 builds on the country’s longstanding commitment to biodiversity. Hungary has already surpassed Aichi Target 11 (to protect at least 17 per cent of land and water) as approximately 22 per cent of the country’s total area is under legal protection. is increases to over 36 per cent when taking into account the extension of areas protected under legislation during the past 25 years. This includes the designation of protected areas and Natura 2000 sites, establishment of the ecological network and land acquisition for nature conservation. Dimitry Ljasuk on Unsplash