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The assembly voted Friday to ask Mayor Gergely Karácsony to submit the proposals to the government. The package passed with 19 votes in favor and nine abstentions.
According to the document, this summer’s drought, heat waves and energy crisis demonstrated that Budapest’s ability to adapt to climate change depends on the legal framework as well as resources and political willingness.
The proposal argues that the municipality often bears responsibility for issues without having the authority to address them. Water, soil and green space protection consequently receive insufficient priority in major development projects, it says.
National rules also frequently require outdated solutions instead of encouraging rainwater retention, drinking water conservation and the reuse of resources, according to the package.
A central objective is to retain rainwater where it can be used, supported by changes to regulations governing water utilities, water management, construction and roads.
The package would also require development projects to meet minimum environmental, water resource and urban green space protection standards, while giving the municipality a meaningful role in decisions affecting its territory.
Among the proposals is a tiered water tariff system, with higher rates for consumption above average levels, alongside social considerations and incentives for water retention.
The existing irrigation discount would also be restructured to encourage rainwater collection and use rather than watering with drinking water.
Budapest is additionally calling for a law on municipal green and blue infrastructure. This would establish a legal framework for rainwater management and retention, modernize water restriction rules, strengthen drinking water source protection and improve the conservation of wetlands, urban water bodies and forests.
In a separate decision, the assembly declined to support returning Margaret Island to District XIII.
The island has been directly administered by Budapest’s municipality, independently of the districts, since 2013. District XIII proposed its reintegration last summer, but a majority of assembly members rejected the move despite support from the city’s leadership.
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