Adaptation in small steps

The overall objective of the presented measures has been the development of the village. The commitment of the Mayor has ensured that the aspect of climate change has been incorporated thereto.
The village has a yearly budget with predefined rows that consider or can be associated with certain climate hazards (eg. envelopes for remedy of damages or tree plantation). 

Permeable covering of street: A development measure, namely, the covering of a street of 16 families was needed. The Mayor ensured that the aspect of climate change adaptation was taken into consideration in the planning phase – actually, he learnt about and proposed permeable covering to prevent flash floods in case of intense rain. Local residents were consulted about their opinion and preferences; they expressed the need for a pavement that can be easily removed and restored after later construction of ducts. Both expectations can be satisfied by the use of paving blocks.

Administrative means to protect the water resource area: The regional water supply network operator obtained permission to use the wells in the Malom-valley in 1996 but didn’t start production. The wells themselves have been under protection since 1999. The green NGO FÉK initiated a process to declare protection of the Malom-valley in the ‘90s but the municipality did not adopt it at that time. At present the water supply network operator expressed its intention to connect Felsőörs’ wells to the network. FÉK submitted its proposal again in 2016 and after adoption, the municipality declared that the entire Malom-valley (130 ha of forest and pasture) becomes a protected area of local importance, so that the water can remain of good quality and in sufficient quantity. Negotiations with the entities with adverse interests – the authority of forestry and the water supply network operator – are still ongoing with the aim to find a win-win solution.

Development of green surfaces including regular tree plantation and the development of the “Living Fossils’ Park”: The economic strategy of the village prescribes the development of green surfaces and plantation of trees both for mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. A park was developed in 2012 and certain areas (eg. the garden of the nursery) have been used to protect and create habitat for native species (eg. violet click beetle (Limoniscus violaceus)). Moreover, the Municipality has a yearly program of tree plantation in the village with a fixed budget (250.000 HUF or 820 EUR p.a.). The type of trees to be planted is determined together with the local residents year by year. It needs to be mentioned at this point that the village has two touristic sites that are specifically interesting from a geological point of view. Combining the ideas of tree plantation and the existing geological educational trails, an interested resident, whose hobby is geology, submitted a proposal to the municipality in 2015 to use the tree plantation program to develop a garden of plants of geological value. The Mayor has found out that this project can also be combined with awareness raising on climate change, by building on the theme of ‘plants that have survived climate change’. The Garden was developed from the municipal budget, the initiator resident provided the professional planning and organised the implementation and a number of local residents (at least 20 adults and several dozens of children) volunteered in the physical work to create the garden.

Resilient energy supply system: The municipality has installed solar panels to cover the energy needs of the water pumps that ensure the availability of drinking water in the settlement, public buildings (nursery, school etc.) and public lighting. As solar panels ensure independence from the regional power supply network, the electricity supply is more resilient to climate change hazards.