Hungarian Journal of Hydrology

Foreword

Veronika Major — 2025-11-20

Foreword to volume 105/4.

An essay on 21st century hydrology: Achievements, challenges, opportunities

András Szöllösi-Nagy — 2025-11-20

The paper attempts to review current global challenges and opportunities in hydrology and water management, including local situations, the main achievements, as well as the emerging possible solutions. It argues that, in the light of population projections and projected climate change, current water management practices are not sustainable for the 21st century. Therefore, water will be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, challenges of the century – globally and locally as well. Global as well as local adaptation are needed at all levels of water management, from integrated water management to institutional design, education and research. This applies to both developing and industrialized countries. This was particularly true for Hungary, where the past decades have provided worrying examples of disintegrated water management.

Early-stage evaluation of riverbank filtration systems

Gábor Nyiri — 2025-11-20

We have decades of experience in operating the large-scale riverbank filtration (RBF) systems used in our country and in Europe, although there are still open questions regarding the operation of these systems. This experience can be used in drinking water production plans of countries that have only recently started to use RBF systems or are still planning to use these systems. Such countries include India, Malaysia, and African countries. When faced with a potential RBF water base, it is useful to know how efficiently the river-aquifer system will operate. For this, it is useful to develop an evaluation system that is simple, easy to use, and includes the experiences that, for example, European countries have. In our work, we present the main previous results related to RBF systems, as well as tools that are of great help in the early-stage evaluation of these systems, and we also compared one evaluation method with finite difference method.

Comparison of a runoff model enhanced with soil and digital spatial data to conventional runoff models

András Dobai — 2025-11-20

Flash floods are among the most pressing contemporary challenges in water management, particularly in small catchment areas where short but intense rainfall events are associated with significant impact on the environment. Their occurrence is closely linked to topography, soil hydrological properties, and land cover, making their prediction a complex, interdisciplinary task. Due to climate change, extreme precipitation events are becoming more frequent and intense, necessitating modelling approaches that not only account for the physical characteristics of catchments but also incorporate spatial sensitivity. Although local hydraulic engineering practice relies on a wide range of hydrological models and empirical methods, accurate forecasting requires the mapping of flash flood-prone areas, the assessment of affected catchments, and the optimization of expected runoff volumes. In this study, the Cseres Valley catchment is presented, which has been classified as high-risk based on both actual flood events and risk assessment results. Expected runoff volumes are determined, and a runoff model developed at the University of Miskolc—based on geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing data—is tested. The model is intended to serve as an easily interpretable and parameterizable tool for supporting flood risk management and decision-making.

WATER IN THE LANDSCAPE - Climate adaptation with conflicts

József Váradi — 2025-11-20

The management of the Hungarian Hydrological Society has decided to organize discussions on the professional issues of the “Water into the Landscape Program”, creating a forum for the exchange of views, analyzing the chances of taking action against climate impacts, the possibilities and conditions for success. Namely, it is necessary to realistically consider the extent and direction of interventions that can help achieve climate resilience. It is necessary to examine in which areas a paradigm shift is needed and to talk about its significance. The power of the public should not be underestimated, therefore the resulting information tasks must be undertaken.

Gábor Faludi and the Türr István research in Baja

Gábor Albert — 2025-11-20

This article aims to introduce the first phase of the Türr István research conducted at the former Department of Ideology (later Department of Social Sciences) of the Baja Higher Water Management Technical School, and to provide an overview of the related activities of the research leader, Gábor Faludi. The largest extra-budgetary work undertaken by the Department was supported from its inception by Imre Dégen. Its content was formally established in a contract dated 23 February 1968 between the National Water Office and the Department of Ideology of the Higher Water Management Technical School. A historiographical overview of the topic is made possible through the analysis of newly available archival sources and contemporary extra-budgetary work logs. An additional, explicit objective of our study is to contribute further evidence of Imre Dégen’s dedication to preserving historical memory and his commitment to the development of higher-level technical and water management education in Baja. The timeliness of the topic is underscored by the Türr István Memorial Year: the former freedom fighter was born 200 years ago, on 11 August 1825, in the town of Baja.

The water cistern, well and wooden water pipe of the cave cellar of the building at 21 Fortuna Street in Buda Castle

Balázs Szabó — 2025-11-20

In the cave cellar opening from the building at Fortuna Street 21 in Buda Castle, we noticed in 2019 that a wooden pipe leads from the water collector in the southwest corner of the cave to the northeast part of the cave under the floor. The wooden pipe leads to the site of a former well, which has since been rebuilt into a reinforced concrete emergency exit for a World War II shelter. The wooden pipe may have been placed in this very damp cave cellar to conduct water from the cistern to the former well. The wooden pipe is 6 meters long, has an outer diameter of 24 cm, and an inner diameter of 10 cm. We took a sample from it that same year, and based on the dendrochronological examination of András Grynaeus, it turned out that the larch log could have been cut down in 1693 in the upper reaches of the Danube. Similar wooden water pipes were often used in the Middle Ages in our country and in several other countries, some of which I will present in this study. The pipe was probably placed near this public well to quickly restore the water supply to the ruined Buda Castle, which had been taken back from the Turks and was to be rebuilt. There were still public wells with similar high water-supply capacity in a few places in the Castle, which I also tried to present.

World Water Day 2025 – Challenges of Integrated Urban Wa-ter Management in Debrecen

János Tamás — 2025-11-20

This article summarizes the key findings of the professional roundtable conference held on 24 March 2025 on the occasion of World Water Day, organized by the University of Debrecen and the National Laboratory for Water Science and Water Security. The event focused on the practical challenges, opportunities, and strategic objectives of the Integrated Urban Water Management Plan (IUWMP) of the City of Debrecen. Representatives from the municipality, utility service providers, the agricultural and nature conservation sectors, and the academic community examined key issues of urban and regional water management through interdisciplinary presentations and discussions. The IUWMP emphasizes the importance of integrated planning, data-driven decision-making, green infrastructure, public engagement, and cross-sectoral collaboration in addressing climate change adaptation and ensuring water security.

Preparation of the fourth River Basin Management Plan – project opening event

Veronika Major — 2025-11-20

Hungary's first river basin management plan is now being revised for the third time, which is being implemented by the National Water Directorate (OVF) and a consortium of 12 regional water management directorates with the project number KEHOP_PLUSZ-1.2.21-24-2024-00002 entitled "Preparation of the fourth River Basin Management Plan" within the framework of the Széchenyi Plan Plus program.

Academician József Szilágyi, corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

Veronika Major — 2025-11-20

Academician József Szilágyi, corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

László SOMLYÓDY – Commemoration by Veronika MAJOR

Veronika Major — 2025-11-20

László SOMLYÓDY – Commemoration by Veronika MAJOR.