Environmental initiatives launched in Szombathely and Békéscsaba

Local environmental initiatives are underway in Hungary, focusing on urban cleanliness and reforestation. In Szombathely, the municipality organized its sixth city-wide cleaning event as part of the ‘Vigyázzunk együtt Szombathelyre!’ program. The initiative involved students, parents, and local residents working across 56 designated locations, including the Joskar Ola housing estate, to promote environmental awareness and community building.

In Békéscsaba, the LIFE IP HungAIRy project is implementing a large-scale reforestation effort. Approximately 105,000 saplings are being planted across more than 15 hectares of the city. Zoltán Opauszki, a councilor responsible for environmental affairs, noted that while the saplings will take 5 to 8 years to form a visible young forest and 10 to 15 years to become a recognizable young forest, the project aims to increase the city's tree cover, improve microclimates, and capture dust over the coming decades.