Although the Urban Rain project is based in Budapest, we also hold workshops in rural locations, because urban rain is worth its weight in gold everywhere – if managed properly.

2018. szeptember 18-án Szombathelyen ismerhették meg a döntéshozók a projektet.

Report of the Szombathelyi Television:

This summer, we experienced the effects of climate change first hand: in early June, Petőfi village was flooded, then there was no significant rain for almost two months, and a severe drought hit the crops.

In early September, the region received a month’s worth of rainfall in three days. The priority has been to get the rainwater out of the cities as quickly as possible, but now the main focus is on water retention. This is the aim of the LIFE – Urban Rainfall programme.

Gábor László Porhajas – Project Manager, Association of Climate Friendly Settlements
“We may see an increase in sudden rainfall events due to climate change. At the pilot project level, we are experimenting with different solutions in three districts of Budapest – XII, VII and XVIII – on how to retain these sudden urban rains.”

The project, which will run until 2025, will apply and share good practices learned abroad. The first stop was Tatabánya, the second Szombathely. In addition to the county seat, the leaders of Celldömölk and Répcelak took part in the workshop. All three towns have already recognised the importance of water retention. In Szombathely, the idea of reducing concrete pavement surfaces was also raised.

Ákos Németh – Councillor for Sustainable Development and Climate Policy
“We have to find a way to deal with the change in rainfall distribution, and urban water conservation is a good way to do that. We are thinking about different small projects as a first step, for example, in Zanat we are thinking about how to do water conservation in four streets, and we are looking for good examples at the end of this workshop.”

To deal with the sudden rainfall, the Municipality of District VII has built underground cisterns in Kaluzál Square. The rainwater collected there is used to water the trees in the public square. Rain gardens, green roofs and green walls have similar benefits – they retain water, thereby reducing temperatures in the hot summer months and preventing the soil from drying out. The aim is also to make people more aware of the need to use rainwater harvesting containers.

Source: Szombathelyi Televízió

Cover photo by Zsolt D. Mészáros