"After the drought in the summer of 2022, the herd had to be reduced by 100 cows in the autumn. We are now thinking about sending more cows to slaughter to at least we can pay our workers," said Miklós. The cow farm, which has been in operation for 70 years and has 360 cows, managed to survive the summer drought by buying up the crushed maize from local farmers that burnt out during the drought.

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We'll stay even after this land dried out - stories from the Hungarian Great Plain after the historical summer drought (detail)

The Hungarian Great Plain is the country's largest landscape, main source of food production. And most vulnerable to the climate change. Farming is a source of livelihood for the people here. Changing climatic conditions are having an increasing impact on their lives. According to climate forecasts, till 2100, 2/3 of Hungary's territory become semi-desert and making it unsuitable for farming.

author

Zsolt Balázs

freelance photographer

As an independent photographer his most important angle is that of humanity and objectivity. Several years he has been working on exploring the effects of global climate change in the Great Plain (Hungary) on the environment and he focuses on individuals who are already suffering from the consequences or are threatened in their existence.