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Summary
The aim of this two-year technical assistance program was to provide regional and local governments in Hungary with the expertise necessary to develop multi-stakeholder decision-making processes for the management and environmental rehabilitation of the Rackevei Soroksari Dunaag (RSD) Ecological Region. The program served as the focal point for bringing together all levels of government in the RSD Eco-Region (national, regional and municipal) to tackle shared problems and challenges related to environmentally sustainable economic development. The Eco-Region project represented the first attempt in Hungary to initiate and successfully implement a participatory planning initiative involving widespread community and stakeholder involvement. The program was instrumental in changing the mindset of a large number of decision-makers and planning practitioners, away from the "planning in isolation" paradigm towards a community-based, participatory decision-making approach.
Funding Agency:
The Department of External Affairs and International Trade Canada (Task Force on Central and Eastern Europe)
Timeframe:
1993-1994
Geographic Focus:
The geographic focus of this initiative was the RSD Eco-Region in Hungary. This Eco-Region includes the southern part of the Budapest metropolitan area and extends along an auxiliary branch of the Danube River for over 50 kilometers. The region comprises 25 municipal governments, three of which are Districts of Budapest along the Danube corridor.
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Want more information?
For more information, contact the CUI’s International Programs Office at cui@canurb.com |
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Project Partners
The participants in this technical assistance program were the County of Pest, the national Ministries of the Interior and the Environment, the Hungarian Urban Association (MUT), the Hungarian National Planning Institute (VÀTI) and 22 municipalities within the Rackevei-Soroksari-Dunaag (RSD) Ecological Region. In addition to having the support and involvement of a large number of Hungarian and Canadian organization, the program enjoyed the patronage of His Excellency the Right Honourable Roméo LeBlanc, PC, CC, CMM, CD, Governor General of Canada and His Excellency the Right Honourable Arpád Göncz, the President of Hungary.
Background
The RSD Eco-Region is an important source of drinking water for Budapest and other communities and until the 1970s was distinguished by a near pristine natural environment, abundant wildlife and numerous recreation and tourism activities. At the time of project implementation, the RSD Eco-Region was characterized by a mix of industrial, agricultural, recreational and residential land uses, all of which contributed to the pollution of the area through the discharge of sewage, pesticides, fertilizers, other liquid wastes and air contaminants. In the early 1990s it was concluded that the challenges facing the area would need to be addressed through coordinated regional action and this project was designed to assist by focusing on locally owned strategic planning processes focusing on environmental rehabilitation.
Project Description
The fundamental goal of this program was to provide the participating levels of government with the expertise necessary to develop multi-stakeholder decision-making processes for the management of the RSD Eco-Region in an environmentally sustainable manner. The objectives of this initiative included the development of a decision-making process involving all levels of government for the solution of problems and strengthened capabilities of the municipal governments in the Eco-Region, to promote and enhance their economic vitality in an environmentally sustainable and democratic manner. During the course of the project, the CUI was able to achieve significant accomplishments in the area of inter-governmental cooperation, by acting as the catalyst in a multi-jurisdictional cooperative process that resulted in the formulation of a regional plan for the RSD Eco-Region. This initiative also represented the first attempt, in Hungary, to initiate and successfully implement a participatory planning process involving widespread stakeholder and community involvement local government decision-making.
Approach
The project was successful in building the capacity of local officials and planners, to enable them to successfully assume the expanded range of responsibilities that had been decentralized to their municipalities by the national government. These skills were transferred using the "learn-by-doing" approach, which involved local planners and municipal officials conducting the planning process with the infusion of Canadian technical know-how and resources. Capacity building activities included professional internships in Canada, training workshops in Hungary delivered by Canadian advisors, the development of training manuals and workbooks and the use of demonstration projects designed to develop environmental awareness.
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