DIGITALISATION | GOVERNANCE | SUSTAINABLE TOURISM | STRATEGIC PLANNING
Challenge
The lack of enough area specific data for measures and actions
Solution
The Lake Balaton Functional Region developed an integrated regional online monitoring system, which helps the area monitor environmental and socio-economic indicators. The system has been operating since 2006 and one of its benefits is the publicly available database with information regarding environment, traffic, visitor rates, water quality etc. Hence, the public authorities have local real-time data that enables them to identify trends, create possible scenarios, and better plan the development of the area. In addition, it also offers an outlook over the environment, which helps stakeholders establish solutions to tackle climate change and implement measures in case of natural hazards. For example, the system monitors water pollution, water balance, GHG emissions, algae and suspended sediment concentration, etc.
To collect the necessary data the system has environmental monitoring equipment, vehicular traffic measuring units, tourist counting units and additional modules (visualisation and information). This type of system is recommended to all areas facing rapid change in environmental conditions, but also for those that want to plan for a sustainable and resilient future. In the process of developing the system, the following stakeholders were involved: water management bodies, local governments, meteorological service, civil protection groups, universities, and research organisations. Despite the fact that the project faced some challenges in receiving support from relevant institutions and organisations and due to the fact that the data is publicly available, the level of cooperation is increasing.
Since the launch of the monitoring system, the Lake Balaton Functional Area started to have access to additional knowledge on the lake and its surroundings, better understand the environmental and socio-economic aspects and receive stronger support from stakeholders.
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About this resource
In 2021, the European Commission launched a pilot project to improve functional area approaches in the EU and has partnered with the World Bank to implement this initiative. As part of the project, the project team collaborated with 12 functional areas from seven EU countries, providing them with tailored technical support and assistance: Zagreb Urban Agglomeration (Croatia), Brno Metropolitan Area (Czech Republic), West Athens (Greece), Lake Balaton Area (Hungary), Kalisz-Ostrów Agglomeration, Kraków Metropolitan Area (Poland), Jiu Valley and Jiu Conurbation Functional Area, Caraș-Timiș Functional Area, Cluj Metropolitan Area, Oradea Metropolitan Area, West Ialomița Functional Area (Romania), and Trenčín Functional Area (Slovakia).
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