Hungary faces a ‘Green’ protest

Press, 7 February 1986, Page 18

Hungary faces a ‘Green’ protest

From

JUDY DEMPSEY

r in Vienna

A Hungarian biologist who is one of the main organisers of Eastern Europe’s only independent environmental movement, an Austrian ecologist who was expelled from one of the country’s main political parties because he is “too Green,” and a stretch of the river Danube are the unlikely Ingredients in a growing “protect the peoples of the Danube” campaign. If the biologist, Janos Vargha, and the Austrian, Guenther Nennirig, a former member of the Socialist Party, have their way, they will march through the Hungarian capital, Budapest, tomorrow in order to publicise their grievances. These centre on the Danube; more particularly, on the construction of a dam at Gabcikovo in Slovakia and at Nagymaros in Hungary. Part of the construction involves the re-routing of the Danube. And it is precisely this issue which has spawned a huge independent environmental movement in Hungary called “Duna Koer” (Danube Circle). The idea of a Gabcikovo/ Nagymaros dam goes back to the early 1950 s when, in the days of prestige projects and the spirit of “socialist co-operation,” the Czechoslovak and Hungarian Governments decided to construct a dam which would eventually provide hydroelectrical power to both countries. Even at that time, the Hungarian Government had reservations about the venture, but agreed to the plans.

It took several years and much re-drawing of plans before an agreement was finally signed in the mid-1970s between Prague and Budapest By that time, Hungary was having decided second thought An official explains: "We in Hungary will be self sufficient in energy through nuclear power by the 19905, so the dam will be superfluous.” Scientists, particularly biologists, took the argument beyond economics. Janos Vargha, a wellrespected biologist although known to hold strong Hungarian nationalist views, drew up, with other colleagues, reports assessing the environmental costs of the dam. They concluded that the natural water filtering system along this part of the river would be destroyed; that the region would be susceptible to flooding — a point which an official report supported — and that once the natural filtering system had been destroyed, pollution would increase. The debate on the environmental issues did not remain in the cloistered comfort of academia. Janos Vargha rallied behind him an independent protest movement. So great was the support that in 1984 over 17,000 Hungarians signed a petition demanding a halt to the dam building to allow time for public debate and further reports. But under pressure from Moscow

and Prague, the Hungarian » authorities last August put the ” final stamp of approval on the r dam. The dredgers are now on f the banks of Nagymaros.

Austrian workers will also be there in the coming months. *■’ After the indefatigable Austrian v environmentalist, Guenther £ Nenning, successfully campaigned to have plans for a t hyroelectrical power station al; } Halnburg in Austria postponed, < the Austrian Government de- ]■ cided to export its machinery and labour force to Hungary. !• Hungary needed the technical ]; assistance and financial backing l for the dam at Nagymaros. The Government in Vienna saw it as *’ a convenient way of deploying its ]• equipment. £ But such inter-governmental ’ collaboration promptly triggered J' an environmental counterpart, v Both Nenning and Vargha * appeared at a press conference v in Budapest on January 18 and ’’ accused Austria of “exporting environmental problems to Hun- >’ gary ...” > This is a point they will try to <■ make tomorrow — unless the S Hungarian authorities belatedly decide to ban the march. < Whether or not it goes ahead, ; this will not be the last that will . be heard — or seen — of “Duna ' Koer.” I

Copyright — London Observer ■ Service.