Many nature reserves and protected areas are found in the Southern Transdanubian Region
(SW Hungary) that partly belong to the operational area of the Duna-Dráva National
Park (DDNP). In the current paper we review the potential geohazards that may affect
the area. Our results indicate that the predominant geohazards include large riverine
floods on the alluvial plains, while a high-degree of vulnerability is generated owing
to the high relief. High relief may trigger intense runoff following intense rainfall
events and downpours, where consequences, such as flash floods, mass movements and
soil erosion may result in various disasters and catastrophes. Nonetheless, since
the definition of catastrophes is human-oriented, the direct consequences of disasters
may act as positive and beneficial processes in uninhabited natural environments.
