On 8 October 2026, Professor Judit Mádl-Szőnyi, Coordinator of the ClimEx-PE project (ELTE), delivered a keynote introductory presentation at the annual conference of the Hungarian Water and Wastewater Technology Association (MaSzeSz), held as part of ENVIRONTEC 2026 at HUNGEXPO in Budapest. The presentation highlighted the essential role of groundwater in landscape-scale climate adaptation and introduced innovative nature-based approaches to water retention, in line with ELTE’s flagship sustainability programme.
The conference, entitled “Water Crisis or Water Revolution?”, focused on current water management challenges, sustainable solutions, innovative technologies and opportunities for professional collaboration.
In her presentation, “Landscape-Scale Climate Adaptation: Integrating the Groundwater Dimension into Water Retention Solutions”, Professor Mádl-Szőnyi emphasised that increasing drought severity and declining water resources cannot be addressed through surface water retention measures alone. Effective climate adaptation requires an integrated understanding of surface water–groundwater interactions and the functioning of natural groundwater flow systems.
The presentation introduced international practices in Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) and explored how these approaches could be extended from local interventions to landscape-scale solutions. Particular attention was given to NaBa-MAR® (Nature-Based Managed Aquifer Recharge).
Unlike conventional approaches focusing primarily on local recharge, NaBa-MAR® considers how infiltrated water moves through the subsurface, influences hydraulic conditions and potentially benefits more distant areas, including groundwater-dependent ecosystems.
Practical examples from the Danube–Tisza Interfluve demonstrated the importance of site-specific hydrogeological conditions. Research in Kerekegyháza explores the potential for storing harvested rainwater underground, while investigations in Kiskunfélegyháza examine interactions between canal infiltration and groundwater flow systems. These case studies illustrate why different hydrogeological settings require tailored water retention strategies.
The presentation also highlighted physical demonstration and numerical modelling results supporting the NaBa-MAR® concept, alongside opportunities for further research, innovation and cooperation between scientists, water management authorities and technology providers.
The presentation closely aligned with the objectives of the ClimEx-PE project, which investigates groundwater-based approaches to climate resilience, nature-based solutions and more integrated water management under increasing hydroclimatic extremes.
By presenting the scientific foundations and practical applications of groundwater-based adaptation to water-sector professionals and decision-makers, the event provided an important opportunity to communicate project-relevant research beyond the academic community and strengthen the dialogue between science and practice.
The discussions were particularly relevant to ClimEx-PE’s efforts to connect hydrogeological knowledge with practical water management and governance, supporting the development of solutions that can be adapted to different environmental and institutional settings.
The event contributed to the visibility and wider dissemination of ClimEx-PE’s research approach, while creating opportunities for future collaboration and the practical uptake of nature-based groundwater solutions. It also reinforced a central message of the project: sustainable climate adaptation requires treating surface water and groundwater as interconnected parts of the same hydrological system, rather than managing them separately.