Biosphere reserves (BRs) are internationally recognized “learning places for sustainable development,” where conservation and human activity coexist in a balanced way. They serve as living laboratories for testing and refining approaches that reconcile biodiversity protection with sustainable use. By preserving vital ecosystems, fostering community engagement, and providing platforms for dialogue, biosphere reserves deliver local solutions to global challenges. Their role is particularly crucial in the fight against climate change: they safeguard carbon sinks, support ecosystem-based adaptation and mitigation strategies, and enhance community resilience. As sites for innovation, monitoring, and cooperation, biosphere reserves not only conserve remarkable biodiversity but also offer pathways toward more sustainable and climate-resilient societies.
Building on this mission, the project #biospherereserves — funded by the Interreg VI-A Hungary–Slovakia Programme — seeks to enhance the role of BRs along the Hungarian–Slovak border in biodiversity conservation, economic development and social innovation: the Pilis BR and Fertő Lake BR on the Hungarian side and Poľana BR in Slovakia. By involving local communities and making greater use of nature-based solutions, the initiative strengthens cross-border cooperation and supports the development of strategies that combine ecological integrity with sustainable livelihoods.
As part of the project, local workshops were organized in the Pilis and Fertő Lake BRs to explore local needs and expectations and to integrate stakeholder experience into the BR strategy development process. Using the World Café method during the workshops, facilitated by Edit Konok (BURST Nonprofit Ltd.), representatives of the Duna-Ipoly National Park Directorate (DINPI) and the Fertő-Hanság National Park Directorate (FHNPI), together with stakeholders from forestry, local municipalities, institutions, NGOs, and local businesses, came together to discuss the most pressing challenges of the BRs.
As experts from the National Park Directorates explained, the strength of both BRs lies in their remarkable biodiversity, which includes several protected and strictly protected species, some of them endemic to these areas. It is therefore no surprise that these sites are listed under several national and international conservation categories (e.g., national park, Natura 2000 site, part of the national ecological network, biosphere reserve, etc.). Both National Park Directorates have already implemented numerous interventions to protect habitats and species, ensuring a high professional standard of conservation.
At the same time, both BRs face many similar challenges while also offering opportunities to learn from each other. The cooperation project therefore plays a crucial role in developing sustainable strategies for the BRs through the exchange of knowledge and experience.
Workshop participants agreed that climate change is already having severe impacts on the BRs. Droughts have led to the disappearance of wetlands and the species that depend on them, while forest dieback has increased the risk of wildfires. At the same time, heavy rainfall often causes flash floods and inland water problems. As conditions continue to change, conservation managers face new and often unexpected challenges, requiring constant adaptation and the extensive use of nature-based solutions, particularly for climate change mitigation and local water management (e.g., nature-based green and blue infrastructure developments).
Another major issue is the spread of invasive species, driven by both climate change and human activity. Balázs Tömöri (mayor of the Municipality of Pilisborosjenő) drew attention to the rapid spread of highly resistant plants, which displace native species and reduce biodiversity. Effective control requires eradication even on private land, since infestations quickly spread into protected areas. This, however, demands strong cooperation between conservation organizations, municipalities, and residents. Shaping public attitudes is therefore a critical task for BRs.
Traditional farming practices such as grazing, mowing, and vegetable cultivation have nearly disappeared from the BRs. Improperly timed or poorly executed mowing can damage grasslands, but complete abandonment is equally harmful, leading to shrub encroachment and forest succession, and ultimately to the loss of rare grassland species. Attila Fersch (Head of Department, FHNPI) emphasized that, due to the lack of local economic actors, the national parks have taken on grazing, mowing, and reed harvesting themselves. Both NPDs keep native animals – grey cattle and racka sheep – to maintain protected pastures and meadows and to preserve traditional landscapes.
Unsustainable logging and regeneration can cause serious ecological damage. Common problems include even-aged stands, a lack of a second canopy or shrub layer, the disappearance of mixed tree species, and the absence of hollow trees and deadwood. Szabó Csilla (Head of Forest Management Department, Pilis Park Forestry) stressed the importance of continuous-cover forestry, which ensures forests regenerate naturally with mixed-age trees and sufficient deadwood to support biodiversity. Pilis Park Forestry is a pioneer of this approach in Hungary, but forestry management in the Fertő Lake BR has not yet adopted it. Knowledge transfer from Pilis could therefore play a crucial role in the future.
Participants agreed that while tourism is an important economic sector in the areas, mass tourism increasingly pressures natural areas, leading to conflicts between municipalities and conservation organizations, as well as between residents and visitors. The spatial distribution of visitors is uneven, with crowds concentrated at a few highly popular sites and during peak periods. One-day tourists often do not use local services, resulting in low local spending. Outdoor sports disturb wildlife, damage vegetation, and create bare soil patches where invasive species thrive. Conscious visitor management, education on responsible behaviour in nature, and stronger cooperation among stakeholders in developing and providing sustainable slow tourism products and services at the regional level are therefore essential alongside conservation efforts.
Due to past hunting practices and the absence of natural predators, game populations have grown significantly, with wild boar, roe deer, mouflon, and red deer often appearing near settlements. Game populations exceeding the natural carrying capacity threaten both sustainable forestry and biodiversity. Hunting remains the most effective management tool, as game fences, while protective locally, block ecological corridors and favour invasive species.
A characteristic of BRs is that protected and inhabited areas coexist, often interwoven in a mosaic pattern. One consequence of this is significant road traffic within BRs. Dr. Pál Kézdy (Deputy Director, DINPI) highlighted that roads cause habitat fragmentation, hinder wildlife movement, increase pollution, and result in high mortality – especially among amphibians and reptiles during seasonal migrations. Preventing this requires active conservation interventions and awareness-raising. In recent years, both national parks have implemented exemplary, community-based projects in this field.
Stakeholders concurred that many challenges stem from insufficient awareness and fragmented knowledge-sharing. Although ecological expertise exists in the regions, it is not systematically shared or institutionalized. Among residents, lack of knowledge and low participation in volunteer programs remain obstacles. Education and awareness-raising from early childhood are therefore essential, and BRs can play a leading role.
The Fertő Lake BR is managed solely by FHNPI, while the Pilis BR has built a unique cooperative governance model involving DINPI, Pilis Park Forestry, local municipalities, NGOs, and businesses. Knowledge and experience exchange between the two BRs within the project is therefore extremely important, and the functioning of the Pilis BR offers a good-practice model for developing more effective regional cooperation schemes in the Fertő Lake BR as well.
Awareness-raising also requires increasing the visibility of the BRs themselves. Workshop participants noted that BRs remain little known among local communities and lack a strong brand identity. Without targeted communication and marketing, they stay largely invisible. Enhancing their visibility would not only raise awareness but also boost volunteer engagement.
Workshop participants concluded that stronger cooperation, better knowledge-sharing, increased visibility, and community-driven management are crucial for the sustainable future of the Pilis and Fertő Lake BRs. Participants expressed their commitment to continue dialogue and collaboration in the upcoming phases of strategy development and beyond for a sustainable future of these remarkable biosphere reserves.
The #biospherereserves project will support these efforts through pilot actions in habitat restoration, species protection, invasive species control, and environmental education. Workshops, study tours, surveys, and community events will strengthen regional cooperation and facilitate the adaptation of best practices from other BRs. BURST will work closely with partners to update the strategies and management plans of the BRs using a community-driven approach and nature-based solutions. A practical guide for Central European BRs will also be prepared to share lessons learned across the EU.