Hungary launches water reforms and new climate law amid severe drought

Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced a comprehensive programme to overhaul Hungary’s water supply system as the country faces a historic heat wave and worsening drought. The plan includes modernising the water‑utility network, expanding reservoirs to capture autumn and winter rainfall, launching a national water‑retention scheme, extending irrigation infrastructure and supporting farmers with water‑saving technologies. A new climate law based on scientific findings will be drafted in cooperation with experts, farmers, local governments and the scientific community.

The government has already imposed second‑degree water‑use restrictions in about 120 municipalities along the Danube, and for the first time a town—Szada—has lost piped drinking water, prompting deployment of water‑truck fleets in Szada, Veresegyház and elsewhere. Magyar criticized the previous administration for failing to address the climate challenge and highlighted the urgent need to protect drinking‑water supplies for households, hospitals, schools and other critical services.