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Climate Change & Pollution Endanger Balaton’s Future, Experts Say in Hungary

• 1 Jul 2026 6:57 AM

Lake Balaton is under siege from multiple threats, the head of the Balaton Limnological Institute, Gabor Vasas, said, referring to building new developments on the shoreline, dying reed beds, pollution from sunscreens, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals, as well as warming waters driven by climate change.

The public often fixates on water levels, Vasas said on the Hungarian Academy of Sciences' (MTA) Biztos Hang podcast, but the lake's health depends on natural fluctuation, not a static ideal.

A range of 70 to 110 centimetres is normal for a shallow lake, while prolonged high or low levels can both cause ecological harm.

A bigger concern is the lake's water balance, he said. Since 2000, years with a negative balance - where more water is lost than replenished - have become more frequent.

Climate change is intensifying droughts, and shallow lakes like Balaton are especially vulnerable to shifts in temperature and precipitation, he added.

Reed beds, critical for habitats, fish reproduction, and water filtration, cannot simply be replanted elsewhere if destroyed for building developments. Their loss threatens the lake's functionality, not just its scenery, he stressed.

New risks are emerging, Vasas warned, noting that warming waters can trigger internal nutrient release from sediments, causing algae blooms even if external pollution is reduced.

Everyday use of sunscreens, chemicals, and fishing feed also adds to the burden, while invasive species pose growing threats due to climate change and human activity.

The lake's future hinges on finding systemic solutions, Vasas said.

MTI Stock Photo

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881.

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