The state of Hungarian natural resources and factors defining their sustainable use

Pálvölgyi, Tamás – Csete, Mária

Keywords: natural resources, ecosystem services, sustainability, evaluation of functions

This study calls attention to the factors, interrelations and driving forces that should be taken into account in sustainable resource utilization, which the CAP reform for 2014- 2020 places emphasis on, with national strategies and sectoral programs also playing a vital role. We propose that factors and limitations of using natural resources presented in this study be taken into account in policy decisions for long-term concepts. In other words, sustainability criteria for natural resources should be incorporated into policies, and we also propose conducting a regional sustainability assessment for projects and investments that require extensive natural resources. Using the results in education and raising public awareness are also vital. In the second part of the study, we attempt the assessment of ecosystem services based on natural resources with an international outlook. We have defined four groups of ecosystem services that provide mankind with direct and indirect benefits through ecosystems in their natural state or modified by anthropogenic effects. We propose the further development of the methodology – also applicable to ecosystem services – for the sustainability assessment presented in this study, e.g. for specific activities or production areas, and further refining the analysis of national tendencies in ecosystem services.

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