Welcome to the website of the Bufallo farms of Mórahalom and Pecica!

KÖSZÖNTJÜK A MÓRAHALMI ÉS A PÉCSKAI BIVALYREZERVÁTUM HONLAPJÁN!

„„Sustainable rehabilitation programme for saline habitats and wetlands on protected territories through naturalization”

HURO/0802/014

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HURO/0802/014

The Local Government of Mórahalom is implementing the project FENNREHAB within the Hungary-Romania Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013 (www.huro-cbc.eu) supported by the European Union, European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Hungary co-financing with Romania.

The program aims at enhancing to joint social and economic development of the Hungarian-Romanian border area.

The Local Government’s project partner of Mórahalom is the Town Council of Pécska and Pecska Natura Ecological Association.

With the support of the project, the City Council will be able to start the development on the following buildings:

-Education-Presentation House

-Storage room for machines and tools

-Roofing for buffalo

-Measuring centre

The aim of the program is to familiarise the visitors with the rural life, with stock-farming and with tools which are out of use nowadays.

On the buffalo farm the number of animals is growing therefore it is necessary to build roofing for buffalo. The results of the earlier project will be monitored in the Measuring Centre.

The project includes € 623 017 gross with the support of the European Regional Development Fund, state co-financing and the own contribution from which

- € 398 865 aids the development of Local Government of Mórahalom

- € 28 972 aids Pecska Natura Ecological Association

- € 195 180 aids the Town Council of Pécska.

Project starting and closing date: 01 March 2011 – 29 February 2012

The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the official position of the European Union.

The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the official position of the European Union. www.huro-cbc.eu

www.huro-cbc.eu

www.hungary-romania-cbc.eu

www.huro-cbc.eu

Investment: The investment will be realized on a plot of a little bit more than 6 ha in the outer area of the settlement. One part of the investment is the construction of a "Veterinary and administrator's office" (134 m2) and of a “Stall” (63 m2) and an observation tower.

The total investment territory covers an area of 194 m2. The location is situated adjacent to a protected flood area, which will be the buffalo-grazing place. The limit of the territory is a dam embankment, thus the investment location is protected from the major periodical floods. The investment does not affect directly a protected area. The competent authorities and a layout engineer have carried out the on-site inspection for the required authorisations. The Town of Pecica concluded a long-term contract with the owner of the protected area for the utilization of the grazing.

Location:

The planned investment in Pecica is the 63064 m2 territory with the reference land number of T100 PS547/1 63064 MP. (See on the relevant map annex) Major investment elements, the establishments related to the buffalo farm.

Cross-border effect and experiences

The FENNREHAB project provides a minimal-impact solution for the comprehensive management of an interregional problem. Our project is the continuation of the successfully realized interregional (INTERREG II/A) environmental pilot programme, Wetland Rehabilitation at Nagy Széksós and guarantees a systematic, sustainable, and economic solution to the natural and environmental problems affecting the wetlands of the two countries.

Within the project, we wish to realize the environmental rehabilitation of cross-border protected and endangered wetlands through the naturalization of water buffalos (Bubalus bubalus). Through that, we treat saline habitats in Hungary, and riverside floodplains in Romania. The water buffalo is able to clean the wet area even by free-range rearing, a results that could not be reached by the use of local endemic and other domesticated animals. Invasive plant species suppressing and harming the local elements of flora and fauna form the water buffalo’s primary diet, thus it can be efficiently used for the recovery of the protected biotopes’ ecological balance, and the conservation of the natural condition, with minimal human intervention.

The expansion of the rehabilitation territory to an area of 80 ha at Lake Nagyszéksós will be realized in Mórahalom (HU) through the use and application of the existing natural buffalo herd. Simultaneously, we will carry out the construction of a rehabilitation buffalo reserve in Pecica (RO) on a floodplain of 11.2 ha according to the methodology and experiences of the above-mentioned pilot programme. This requires the infrastructure expansion of the existing buffalo farm in Mórahalom, on the one hand for the winter stalling of the growing buffalo herd, on the other hand, for the strengthening of training and measuring functions and informative presentation services that enable the widespread dissemination of the rehabilitation know-how. In Pecica, we plan the construction of the stall and winter shelter of buffalos, and of an observation tower, that enables the dissemination and presentation of the method. The realization of project investment elements will cost a total of EUR 623 017.00.

The cross-border effect of the project is given by the interregional situation of the protected wetlands. According to the experiences of the pilot project, the complex rehabilitation of the territory through the naturalization of the bubalus bubalus can be realized by low costs; the related infrastructure developments contribute to the long-term sustainability of the project.

The additional benefits of the project are the establishment of a tourist sight, the dissemination of the ecological approach, and the strengthening of the commitment for a sustainable lifestyle.

The project’s target groups in both countries are civil youth and school groups, nature protection experts, scientific researchers and pedagogues, agricultural institutions and experts, civil and public nature protection organizations.

Pecica, buffalo rehabilitation centre (reserve)

Name	Investment elements	Presentation, objective of building structures
Veterinary and administrator’s office (1)	After the preparation of the territory, the investment steps will be as follows: building of foundation, ground floor and roof; installation of networks (electricity, water, heating) and heating unit (solid heating material – wood); and external works (rustic wood panelling) and internal furnishment.	Simple closed building, as an office for administration activities (visitors, presentation etc.), and for periodical veterinary consultations.
Buffalo stall (1)	The building steps include the construction of the frame structure, the build-up mangers and pens.	A shelter for buffalos placed on the protected floodplain of the Mures River during flooding and in winter. Light-structure building.
Observation tower (1)	The building steps include the construction of the frame structure.	For the passive, undisturbed observation of buffalos, and other animals and plants of the protected area for tourists and experts.