The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade commissioned a Hungarian research company NRC Ltd. in the framework of the EU Danube Region Strategy Water Quality Priority Area to carry out basic research on involving young people with the aim of gaining insight into young people’s knowledge of the Danube and water quality protection and their possible shortcomings.
The quantitative research was conducted by the NRC on data collected between June 27 and July 4, 2023, on Hungary’s largest online panel: the Netpanel, where a total of 300 young Hungarians aged 15-25 were interviewed. The survey focused on young people’s attitudes towards environmental protection, with specific focus to water protection in the Danube Region. The Water Quality Priority Area asked for the opinions of the Hungarian members of the EUSDR Danube Youth Council, and the final questionnaire used in the research was prepared incorporating their suggestions.
According to the research, young Hungarians are aware of the various global environmental problems and their severity, and the most frequently heard topics for them are climate change and global warming. Most young people believe that the environment is an issue that we should all be committed to for the future and should be taken into account in all areas of our lives. In relation to water protection, the most common problem identified by young people in Hungary is hazardous waste entering the water and pesticides entering the soil. And every second Hungarian youth between the ages of 15 and 25 is particularly interested in topics related to water protection in the region, above all hazardous waste emissions and problems related to drinking water. This age group considers it important to have access to authentic information on the subject, especially since they feel that there is little information available.
The research contributes to the European Year of Youth initiative announced by the European Commission in 2022, with which the European Union wants to ensure that the decision-makers listen to the ideas and opinions of young people regarding the future of the Union, and that youth who respond sensitively to the challenges of our time are involved as widely as possible. groups. The research highlights the important role European youth play in building the future and in creating a more environmentally friendly and inclusive Danube Region, and at the same time creates an excellent basis for further thinking about the further tasks of the Water Quality Priority Area, related to the involvement of young people.
