Highest Level of Environmental Protection
When LÃĄszlÃģ Papp became mayor in 2014, he committed to to strengthen Debrecen economically. The city's economy has grown several times over in recent years and today Debrecen is the strongest city in the country after the capital. In recent years, large companies such as CATL, Semcorp and BMW have settled in Debrecen.
In parallel to the economic strengthening of the city, the city administration has also managed to make progress in the field of transport development, and new development elements have been included in the plans for the current legislative period.
However, the city administration has always considered it a priority to develop the city's economy in a way that ensures adequate safety and maximum environmental protection for its residents.
Importance:
HighCategories:
EnvironmentTags:
Sustainability
Environmental Monitoring System: Nothing Goes Unnoticed
By the end of the decade, all the factories whose development has already started will be built, and Debrecen’s industry will reach the scale mentioned earlier.
However, the city administration considers it important that the economy can only grow in a way that respects the environment and takes sustainability into account.
The city administration is setting up an environmental monitoring system with the help of experts from the University of Debrecen to ensure proper environmental protection, which can exercise control over all parameters. It will also examine surface water, groundwater, soil, air quality, noise protection, and biodiversity. The monitoring system will ensure a continuous flow of information to the authorities so that we can react to everything that happens in the industrial process.
Nothing can happen in the city that goes unnoticed from an environmental point of view.Â
Debrecen Green Codex - Hungary's Most Complex Environmental Program
The city administration has long prioritized green policy and environmental protection. In 2019, it announced a new green policy and launched the Green Task Force and the Future of Debrecen movement.
The new Debrecen Green Codex program is not just a local effort but aligns with the National Environment Program 5.0.
The Debrecen Green Codex contains 50 measures covering all aspects of life, including green energy production and storage, the continuation of the Civaqua programme and the distribution of rainwater harvesting barrels. It’s a blueprint for a sustainable future.
These 50 measures perfectly set out the direction of the municipality’s Green Department’s work over the next three years, with the application for the European Green Capital title being the main milestone.  A short description of the 50 measures of the Debrecen Green Codex can be found here (only in Hungarian) Â
Civaqua For the Protection of the Great Forest and Local Lakes & Other Green Programs
The CIVAQUA programme is a further development of a water development project in HajdÚ-Bihar County, which was conceived 40 years ago.
The 1976 plans were updated in the 2000s and the current version of CIVAQUA was developed in detail.
With CIVAQUA, the water of the Tisza would be transported from the Eastern Main Canal through an underground pipeline to Debrecen. The water would then be pumped up the HajdÚhÃĄtsÃĄg slope.
To the north of JÃģzsa, the pipeline would cross the TÃģcÃģ stream, thus being able to supply water to the stream and revitalise the slowly drying TÃģcÃģ. The water from the stream would flow into the new Debrecen Reservoir, which would provide a fresh, permanent water surface for the south-western part of the city.
The pipeline would continue towards Pallag, where it would fill newly created reservoirs. Underground drip irrigation pipes from the reservoirs would connect to the Great Forest, watering directly the tree roots. This could stop the oaks from drying out at the top and the slow decline of the Great Forest.
The water would then flow through the Kondoros and Cserei lakes to the Fancsika lakes, providing a fresh supply to the reservoirs. The wildlife of the popular fishing lakes would no longer be vulnerable to the unpredictable fluctuations of rainwater and the lakes would be transformed into permanent water surfaces.
The pipeline would eventually extend to Lake Vekeri and provide a continuous water supply. The lake would be restored to aquatic life and the recreational and hiking area around it would be revitalised.Â
