engleski

The Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources and Human Health—Examples from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina

t Due to the increase in the frequency and duration of extreme weather conditions, the main impacts of climate changes will have multiple effects on water resources. Longer periods with elevated air temperatures and more frequent occurrence of extreme precipitation are expected. It will lead to lower availability of water resources and more frequent catastrophic flooding. Greater spring utilization will further aggravate the occurrence of karst springs turbidity as well as coastal aquifers salinization. The negative impact on surface and recreational waters is also to be expected, especially in the case of inadequately built rainwater and urban wastewater collection systems. This paper presents the results of analyses of four pilot areas, three in Croatia: (a) Monitoring the water level and degrees of salinization of drinking water sources (Vrana Lake, Cres Island) ; (b) Water turbidity (Rijeka Municipality water resources) ; (c) Rainwater and wastewater impact on the bathing seawater quality (Šibenik) ; and one in Bosnia and Herzegovina: (d) The water supply in flood conditions (Maglaj Municipality). Descriptive statistical methods were used to analyse the observed data in the pilot areas studied. Two types of models were used in the implementation of modelling—a hydrological model based on balance estimates and machine learning models. These phenomena, along with other environmental factors (air, soil, food quality deterioration), can represent a negative impact on human health. Their monitoring requires a multidisciplinary approach. The aim of this paper was to assess the negative impacts of climate change on human health in the case studies described and to suggest possible ways to mitigate these negative impacts.

climate change ; water recourses

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