Ferenc Gyuris and István Hoffman from Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) presented new results of the ClimEx-PE project at the 2026 Annual Conference of the European Group for Public Administration (EGPA), held at Sapienza University in Rome on 24–27 August 2026.
On 26 August, they gave a joint presentation entitled Breaking (Administrative) Silos: An Evidence-Based Methodology for Integrating Sectoral Territorial Units to Enhance Groundwater Management.
The research addresses an important challenge at the interface of hydrogeology and public administration: groundwater flow systems do not follow administrative or sectoral boundaries, while water-related responsibilities and decision-making are often distributed among different institutions and territorial units. The work therefore explores how the spatial organisation of sectoral public administration can be analysed and better integrated to support more effective groundwater management.
The presentation brought together the complementary expertise of the two ClimEx-PE researchers. Ferenc Gyuris contributes a geographical and territorial perspective to the analysis of administrative structures, while István Hoffman leads ClimEx-PE Work Package 4, “Societal and legal tools for enhancing the application and acceptance of NB-MAR.” The work package examines the legal, institutional and societal conditions needed to facilitate the implementation of nature-based managed aquifer recharge solutions.
Their joint research illustrates a key feature of the ClimEx-PE approach: adapting to hydroclimatic extremes requires not only technical and nature-based solutions, but also governance arrangements capable of bridging sectoral and administrative silos. By connecting hydrogeological knowledge with territorial governance and administrative law, the research helps identify institutional conditions that can support the practical implementation of groundwater-based climate adaptation measures.
Following the conference, participants were received by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on 28 August. Addressing members of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences, the Pope highlighted the responsibility of public administration and research to serve the common good in a rapidly changing technological and societal environment.