Tisza Floodplains, Hungary

The Ecsed Marsh lies on the border of Romania and Hungary. Once the largest wetland in central Europe, it was drained in the 19th century to make way for agriculture, and now just a few pockets of land retain their original character.

The remaining wetlands and marshlands are no longer connected to each other, and the water supply of the region is not continuous, creating problems for water management and agriculture. Arable crops dominate the area, yet despite intensive use of fertilisers and the latest farming techniques, the farmland is unproductive and yields and profits remain low.

In 1999 and 2001 Hungary was struck by severe floods along the Tisza which damaged homes and crops alike. In response, the Hungarian government drew up a national flood management plan which envisaged the establishment of 14 lowland reservoirs where water could be stored during times of high water.

WWF argued for a more natural approach to flood management, involving the restoration and reconnection of the floodplains and wetlands. One of the areas chosen for a reservoir was the Ecsed Marsh, and WWF was allocated a parcel of land there to put its ideas to the test.

The aim is to create a landscape comprising a range of land uses which will combine to promote water retention. The win-win mechanism underpinning this ambitious process centres on the switch from intensive, yet unprofitable, arable crop production to a mixed economy based on water and wetland.