Past and Present – Our Waters are in the Hands of Man

Throughout history, Hungary’s hydrography has changed almost beyond recognition. Water reservoirs and fishponds took the place of swamps, whereas the lick Puszta itself lies where the biggest floodplain once was. Today, 75% of Hungary’s lakes are artificial, and the 90% of the floodplains are no more. But the wildlife had to adapt to this rapidly changing world, or else they would have faced extinction. Surprisingly, these artificial waters provide the last refuge for some rare water-based biomes. The late floodplains give temporal shelter for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds during winter. But this world is now controlled by man, not by nature…