Green Belt: retrospective 2006

In 2010, after the fifth consecutive year on the Greenbelt Program run in cooperation with MOL company with the aim to support the communities in the creation and renewal of urban green spaces, it was time to examine its results and impacts with a comprehensive survey. To this end, during the summer a qualitative and quantitative questionnaire was sent to all the supported organizations (127) of which half were returned completed.

The responses clearly indicate the success of the program, but also point out that without operating local communities and enthusiastic activists, "engines”, these results could have hardly been achieved. The support of MOL and Ökotárs was a key factor in launching the local initiatives, but the organizers matched each Forint of the grant with 4 more from local sources, mainly in the form of in-kind donation and volunteer work. In addition, the local news reports and especially the word of mouth reached a several hundred thousand people, while close to ten thousand participated actively in the planting and park renewing works around the country.

It is also meaningful that after the successful completion of a Green Belt project an average of five additional biodiversity or environmental community programs were undertaken by each organization, and as they said, 75% of the new green locations are used on a daily basis; in 82% of the settlements the locals still talk about the work they did during the program. Remarks of the responders testifies this: "After a very long time it was the first truly comprehensive community program – with an aim that is meaningful for the residental community, too.” “(People) see how much can be reached with the cooperation of community, and thus mutual trust grew as well."

The survey also provided feedback for further development: the zoldovezet.okotars.hu website was renewed in the spirit of this, which now has a professional knowledge base and more details about the successful projects in order to help the efficient transfer of knowledge and experience.