Agricultural Water Use Information and Control Framework System (VIZEK)

Beneficiary: Ministry of Interior
Consortium members: National Directorate General for Disaster Management - Ministry of Interior, General Directorate of Water Management, National Food Chain Safety Office, Lechner Non-profit Ltd., National Agricultural Research and Innovation Centre, Ministry of Agriculture
Project title: Agricultural water use information and control framework system
Project identification number: KÖFOP-1.0.0-VEKOP-15-2016-00023 [PASOP-1.0.0-CCHOP-15-2016-00023]
Overall contract value: 5 800 000 000 HUF [16 571 429 EUR]* [*1 EUR = 350 HUF]
Percentage of EU contribution: 100%
Project duration: 01/10/2015-31/12/2021

Short description of project:

The main purpose of the project is to provide accurate information to water administrations, water authorities, decision-makers and statistical bodies on actual agricultural water uses, their technical characteristics, spatiality and time course, as well as to reduce the administrative burden on agricultural water users and authorities by simplifying the water permit procedure for water use. The project also makes it possible for producers (farmers) to obtain preliminary soil and water information on potential agricultural water needs.

Project activities include:

regular irrigation data flow to record data on operational agricultural water use, and the establishment of an effective control system under the sub-program „Ensuring regular irrigation data flow and cross-checking” as well as productive action against illegal water abstractions;
supporting the electronic implementation of administrative tasks related to water rights permitting under the sub-program „Digitalization of the water rights permitting process” – this development provides not only the registration and professional substantiation of permits, but also the possibility to submit permit applications online.

The above-mentioned framework system provides a free interface for customers to examine the economic benefits and costs of switching from dry to irrigated farming in the areas of their choice. For the operation of this interface and economic calculations, Lechner Non-profit Ltd. provides several maps, GIS and property registration data.