Nature-based water retention methods in a hilly environment in the light of Hungarian and English case studies

Keywords: Water retention, upland, nature-based solutions, small-scale intervention, natural resource, low cost, social trust.

Abstract

This article aims to demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of nature-based solutions (NBS) for field water retention in a hilly environment through a case study from abroad and one from Hungary. The most commonly used methods, their functioning and their impact on water retention are reviewed with the help of photo illustrations. The effectiveness of the solutions presented in terms of water retention and flood peak attenuation is made clear and understandable through graphical evaluations of the field measurement campaigns carried out. The small-scale, and thus sometimes significant, interventions rely on locally available natural resources. Low-cost construction and maintenance offer a real alternative to or instead of concrete structures. As local communities and their field experience are incorporated during the design phase, this approach also stimulates social trust and community activism.

Author Biographies

Gábor, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences , Department of Water Management and Climate Adaptation

GÁBOR HALUPKA received his MSc. degree in geology from the Faculty of Natural Sciences of ELTE in 1996. Interested in the frontier areas of geology, he gained work experience in the field of geological nature conservation and environmental protection, working for the Duna-Ipoly National Park Directorate (2003-2009), then for Repét Environmental Protection and Service Ltd. (2009-2014). He then became a researcher at the Hungarian Geological and Geophysical Institute (former MÁFI, later MBFSZ) (2014-2021). Member of the Hungarian Geological Society.

Tibor Rácz, Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Department of Water Management and Climate Adaptation

TIBOR RÁCZ graduated as a civil engineer in the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Budapest University of Technology and Economics in 1991, with a specialization in hydraulic engineering. In 2022, he obtained a PhD degree in Environmental Sciences in the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Between 1991 and 2005, he worked as a designer in engineering offices and his studio. Between 2005 and 2019, he worked as the head of the Department of Flood Prevention of the Budapest Sewage Works. In 2020, he had a senior water engineer position in the Beijing office of Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl. From 2022, he is an assistant professor at the Department of Water Management and Climate Adaptation at the Institute of Environmental Sciences of the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

Györgyi, Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Department of Water Management and Climate Adaptation

GYÖRGYI GELYBÓ is a certified Meteorologist (2006, ELTE). She received his PhD in Earth Sciences in 2014, also from the ELTE Doctoral School of Earth Sciences. Currently, she is a senior research fellow at the Department of Water Management and Climate Adaptation of the Institute of Environmental Sciences of the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

István Waltner , Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Department of Water Management and Climate Adaptation

ISTVÁN WALTNER certified environmental engineer (2007, SZIE), MSc in Land Management (2008, Cranfield University, United Kingdom), flood and inland water protection engineer (2012, EJF). He obtained his PhD degree at the Doctoral School of Environmental Sciences of Szent István University in 2013. Since 2010, he has been a staff member of the Institute of Environmental Sciences of the SZIE, then the legal successor, the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and is currently a university associate professor, head of the Department of Water Management and Climate Adaptation.

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Published
2024-07-14
How to Cite
HalupkaG., RáczT., GelybóG., & Waltner I. (2024). Nature-based water retention methods in a hilly environment in the light of Hungarian and English case studies. Hungarian Journal of Hydrology, 104(3), 4-17. https://doi.org/10.59258/hk.16459
Section
Scientific Papers