Közép-Tisza-vidéki Vízügyi Igazgatóság

The Tisza Valley has a key role in the Carpathian Basin from hydrogeographical point of view. River Tisza is the most significant tributary of the Danube River Basin, and its largest sub-basin in the same time. 90% of the water flow - which originates from Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania and discharges into the Danube in Serbia - runs through our country. Most of Hungary’s water management and water quality problems are related to River Tisza.

The Tisza River Basin forms a unified water system and  shared by several countries. Thus the work to find common and effective answers on water management problems is essential. The only possible way of solving these problems is to cooperate within a unified framework. Different interests caused by fragmentation must be solved within the basin by responsive cooperation of countries and  stakeholders, in accordance with the regulations of the European Union and with the adaptation of the subsidiarity principle.

Due to its high magnitude, an independent group within the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) deals with the integrated water management of the Tisza River Basin as a sub-basin, furthermore it appears as a separate unit in the Danube River Basin Management Plan as well. The Integrated Tisza River Basin Management Plan has been developed with the aspects of water damage prevention and integrated management of water quality and quantity, that goes beyond the requirements of the Water Framework Directive and mutually important for the five interested countries. Coordination and supervision of the implementation, avoidance of parallelisms and reinforcement of synergies are important tasks of the plan.

The efficient completion of these tasks requires the establishment of an independent international committee with river basin approach, improving the current cooperation in the Tisza Valley.

Facilitating the sustainable development of the Tisza River Basin, the Tisza River Sub-basin Water Management Council initiated the settlement of an “umbrella” organization to ensure a forum for stakeholders willing to improve the basin. According to this objective, the Tisza River Basin Workshop – based in Szolnok - was established today. Tisza River Basin Workshop is an open coordinating forum, where members set the framework of the system by the representation of their field.

Further aim of founders of Tisza River Basin Workshop is to facilitate the constitution of the Tisza Convention among the basin’s countries, including the establishment of the International Tisza River Basin Commission. By the establishment of the Commission a multi-level and  broad relationship and data network could be developed in the Tisza Basin. The countries of this consultation and coordination body would cooperate to ensure the water management and hydrologic balance and to protect natural values of River Tisza. The Commission would elaborate recommendations and strategies on international level regarding River Tisza and its tributaries, taking into account the provisions and objectives of the Water Framework Directive and the Flood Directive. The Commission would outline the necessary exploratory research needs and the sufficient knowledge necessary to raise cross-border awareness of professionals involved in the implementation of tasks.

Further objectives are to facilitate the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region in the Tisza River Basin, the integrated management of water quantity and quality issues, elaboration of proposals concerning the mitigation of effects of climate change.

The founders of the Tisza River Basin Workshop undertake to provide  professional and supporting background after the establishment of the International Tisza River Basin Commission.

Szolnok, 03. 30.2011.