A new three-part documentary series produced by WWF Hungary explores the challenges facing the MOSAIC Hungary Policy Lab.
The water crisis in the Sandridge within the Danube-Tisza interfluve in central Hungary is an everyday reality for the landscape, farmers and communities living there. A three-part documentary series produced by WWF Hungary explores this crisis. How did the region reach this point? What does a changing climate mean for the Sandridge? And what can be done to ensure that water does not disappear, but can once again remain in the landscape? These are the questions explored by researchers, farmers and local communities in the film.
Dry periods are becoming longer and water is becoming increasingly scarce across the Sandridge. These changes are affecting natural habitats, soils, agriculture and local communities alike. Adapting to the new conditions is therefore an imperative. The three-part documentary series, Homokhátság, traces this process from the causes of the problems to possible solutions.
The filmmakers explore how more water can be retained in the landscape and how the region can adapt to a changing climate.
The three-part documentary series is available on the WWF Hungary YouTube channel.
Changing land use to address water scarcity
One of the defining experiences during filming was returning to the same locations several times. The filmmakers saw areas that had previously been dry and barren, but where water had later returned – and with it, wildlife. Birds, insects and turtles had reappeared.
This illustrates the importance of natural water retention. It can improve the condition of wetlands, provide habitat for a wide range of species and help agricultural areas adapt. Improving soil health, minimising soil disturbance, using more drought-tolerant crops, and introducing grassland management and extensive livestock farming in certain areas can also form part of the adaptation process. The people featured in the series discuss these approaches through their own experiences, including researchers Dr Judit Mádlné Szőnyi (ELTE), Prof. Dr János Rakonczai (SZTE) and Dr Csaba Tölgyesi (SZTE), farmers Zoltán Szabó and Csaba Toldi, and representatives of the VízŐrző (“Water Guardian”) civil initiatives.
WWF Hungary provided the technical expertise for the documentary series and has been working for years on solutions to improve capacity to retain water throughout various Hungarian landscapes.
“The water shortage in the Sandridge is the result of a range of different processes, so adaptation is also needed on several fronts. In the Hungarian pilot area of the EU-funded MOSAIC project, we are looking for nature-based solutions taylored to local conditions to address the impacts of climate change, water scarcity caused by the overuse of water resources, and the ecological crisis. A key focus of the project is retaining water locally.
“Among other things, we are looking for ways to transform a landscape dominated by water-intensive arable farming and plantation-style forests into one that is economically and hydrologically sustainable, while also being capable of supporting the local population in the long term,” said Viktor Mátyás Farkas, Climate Adaptation Expert at WWF Hungary.
The current structure and use of the landscape; the balance between arable land, forests, grasslands and wetlands is unsustainable because it places excessive pressure on water resources. This needs to change if the Sandridge is to remain a liveable place in the long term. The proportion of water-intensive arable land and forest plantations needs to be reduced, while the share of grasslands and wetlands should increase. This will require changes to agriculture.
In the meantime, local people are doing what they can to protect what water remains. The story of the VízŐrző movement, which translates to “Water Guardian” told in the second episode, is a good example of how it is possible – and necessary – to take action rather than simply wait for things to change.
Three years of filming, one three-part story
The idea for the film came about after the exceptional drought of 2022. Boglárka Bicsák, Ágoston Fehér, Csaba Gregor and Albin Sümegi set out to provide a comprehensive picture of the Sand Ridge’s water crisis and introduce the people working on solutions at a local level. The documentary series shows what happens when water is successfully retained in the landscape and what kinds of changes individual local initiatives can trigger.
Alongside scientists' explanations, the series also features farmers and local communities who experience the impacts of water scarcity first-hand and are exploring ways to adapt using the resources available to them.
But can adaptation enable local people to continue making a living from agriculture? In the third and final episode, farmer Zoltán Szabó explores possible solutions.
Image, music and animation all serve the story
The series' visual and musical identity was also created by Hungarian artists. Fanni Sall's animations and graphic elements help explain a number of complex processes while creating a distinctive visual identity for the films. The original soundtrack was composed by János Bitó and Botond Bardocz. Running throughout all three episodes, the music connects the different parts of the story, bringing together the traditions of Hungarian folk music from the Great Plain with contemporary musical approaches.
The filmmakers and WWF Hungary hope that the series will contribute to a better understanding of the highly complex challenges facing the Sandridge, as well as encourage more people to get involved in finding solutions and developing more sustainable approaches to land use.