Hungary joins Countdown 2010: From international commitments to national action
29 September 2006, Budapest, Hungary. By signing the Countdown 2010 Declaration today, Hungary has defined specific actions which will bring the country closer to achieving the 2010 target of halting the loss of biodiversity.
“We are committed to turning an international target into concrete national action and we have therefore decided to join the growing network of Countdown 2010 partnersâ€, said Dr. Miklós Persányi, Minister for Environment and Water of the Hungarian Republic, while he was designating three new Wetlands of International Importance.
The three new sites are the Rába river valley, the recently restored Nyirkai-Hany peatland area of the Fertö-Hanság National Park, and the upper Kiskunság alkaline steppe wetlands. “Each of these sites is a very specific and typical example of still under-represented wetland types in the global Ramsar Listâ€, said Tobias Salathe, Senior Advisor for Europe of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
This brings the Hungarian Wetlands of International Importance to the number of 26, covering 202,281 ha, or roughly 2.2% of Hungary’s territory (placing it mid-field amongst the European Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention).
Besides the designation of these three new sites, Hungary has committed itself through signing the Countdown 2010 Declaration to specific activities in the following areas:
# enhancing its network of designated sites,
# complying with EU legislation and international conventions,
# strengthening financial and legislative capacities for nature conservation,
# raising public awareness, and,
# improving management of sites and species.
Tamas Marghescu, IUCN’s Regional Director for Europe, welcomed these 2010 commitments and said that “By signing the declaration, Hungary has become part of a powerful and rapidly growing network of institutions working together to reach the 2010 biodiversity targetâ€.
To date, in Europe, more than 100 partners ranging from national to local governments, from non-governmental organisations to businesses have joined Countdown 2010. Each partners commits to dedicate extra effort into action towards the 2010 biodiversity target. Acting together, they create a joint momentum around the target.
