Hungary’s and Austria’s tourist hotspot Lake Fertő in grave danger

This week, an advisory group from the UNESCO’s cultural organisation visited the site of the Lake Fertő investment on the Hungarian-Austrian border, which has been the subject of a serious debate on both sides for quite some time. UNESCO claims that if the construction projects, which have commenced on both sides of the lake, are carried out as planned, they may result in Lake Fertő losing its World Heritage title. As a consequence, regional tourism could also decline. Furthermore, both countries’ reputation could be seriously damaged. 

The fate of Lake Fertő

According to Szabad Európa, in addition to government members, the delegation also met with civilians fighting for the protection of Lake Fertő. The company responsible for the investment ceased to exist at the end of last year, which resulted in the project being taken over by the Ministry of Construction and Transportation in January. The representatives of civil organisations, the Friends of Lake Fertő Association and Greenpeace on the Hungarian side, WWF and Allianz For Nature on the Austrian side and government representatives from Hungary all gathered to discuss the issues. In addition to the environmental activist groups, locals also protested against the investment, which started four years ago and had cost billions of Hungarian forints.

The civilians voiced their problems that a previously popular part of the lake is no longer accessible to them due to the investment projects. Moreover, fishermen and sailors also face issues when attempting to access certain areas of the lake. The head of the Ministry of Construction and Transportation, János Lázár, has announced, that due to economic reasons, the planned project will only be partially realised. According to Gyula Major, the president of the Friends Of Lake Fertő Association, the government delegates promised that “everything will be nice and good from now on”, and that they would initiate a dialogue between the government and civilians regarding the endangered lake.