Measures to conserve and rehabilitate a number of internationally important caves in Northern Hungary’s Aggtelek National Park have been carried out with the support of EU funding. Work included removing old engineering structures, repairs to cave entrances and removal of carbon dioxide. The changes make the caves safer, help to mitigate years of environmental damage and allow nature to flourish, particularly the local bat populations.
- 25 May 2020
The Aggtelek National Park is an area of unique geological value, with caves of outstanding international importance. As the result of this project, activities aimed at maintenance and sustainment of World Heritage caves, mine openings and pits shall enable more effective protection of protected, or specially protected, animal species and Natura 2000 indicator species, to which these sites serve as valuable and vulnerable habitats.
Work through the project was carried out at 12 locations in the park, including the Tornaszentandrás iron-ore mine, the Meteor-Cave, the Béke-Cave and the Baradla-Cave. The interventions served nature conservation and accident prevention purposes.
Sensitive interventions
Activities included the removal of structures – such as rusting walkways and ladders – that were not compatible with the caves. Cave entrances that had been blocked or under threat of collapse were opened up and stabilised. In many cases, the structures built to close cave entrances were renovated. In addition, excessive amounts of CO2 have been removed from some of the caves.
Many of the sites covered by the project are special habitats for bats. Several species breed or overwinter in the caves. The bat populations have been helped, in particular by decreasing the concentration of CO2, improving ventilation and creating safer structures to close cave entrances.
Removing the outdated engineering structures improves the aesthetic quality of the caves. Further damage is being prevented through the introduction of stainless steel ladders. New routes through the cave have been plotted and provided with non-slip walking surfaces.
Helping nature flourish
Activities carried out by the project were in line with strategic targets for national nature conservation. The goal was to conserve the ecological potential of protected areas or Natura 2000 areas that require site and species management. All the interventions were designed to help nature regenerate and restore without further human intervention.
Among its nature conservation tasks, project beneficiary Aggtelek National Park Directorate protects typical karst landscape forms and cave-systems as well as the area’s rare forests and various animal species. The park also guards mesotrophic wet meadows, upland hay meadows and the natural flora and fauna of these habitats, and the cultural values of the landscape. In addition, it ensures the required natural conditions for scientific research and raises awareness of local landscapes and nature though educational activities and knowledge dissemination.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Interventions addressing the conservation of World Heritage caves, artificial caves with considerable geographical value and related sensitive wildlife in the territory of Aggtelek National Park” is EUR 965 216 with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 820 433 through the “Environmental and Energy Efficiency Operational Programme” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Environment and resource efficiency”.