Can a River Run Dry?

The Endangered Future of the Tisza River

At the end of this August, I found myself walking in the bed of a river. A place where, as a child, we used to vacation, swim, paddle, and fish. But this time, I wasn't greeted by the familiar riverside; instead, I encountered a half-dry, abandoned riverbed, littered with tires, wine bottles, rubble sacks, and soda bottles. It was a sobering sight: could it really be that the largest tributary of the Danube might one day completely disappear?

The Tisza flows through the Great Hungarian Plain, Central Europe’s largest lowland area, which is primarily agricultural and provides significant evaporative surface. Although the Tisza’s catchment area is extensive, its water levels fluctuate more with each passing year. This year’s prolonged drought meant that even the lowland rivers couldn’t supply water to the Tisza. The current land use and agricultural practices only exacerbate the issue.

With climate change, rising temperatures and increasingly unpredictable rainfall patterns are further intensifying the problem. The region’s rate of evaporation significantly surpasses the annual precipitation, a long-term unsustainable trend. The climate of the Carpathian Basin is shifting towards a sub-Mediterranean pattern, with dry, hot summers followed by rainy autumn and winter seasons. If left unchecked, the area could soon become one of the driest regions in Europe.

Mitigating the local water crisis in the Carpathian Basin is more urgent than ever. Heatwaves are becoming more frequent, average temperatures are rising, rainfall is unevenly distributed, and irrigation demands are increasing—all creating significant challenges for water and agricultural policies. If we continue to delay action, we risk not only the Tisza but also the entire region, with the Carpathian Basin potentially becoming one of Europe’s driest areas in the foreseeable future. The process is already underway, though we still have time to prevent more serious damage.

Fortunately, in Hungary, many experts, researchers, and local farmers are already working on solutions. Numerous plans and proposals have been developed for the sustainable management of rivers, as well as for land use and agricultural practices—now we just need the political will to implement the necessary measures.