engleski

Water resources - Croatian comparative advantage

Water resources get the growing importance in development projects in Republic of Croatia, partly because of the general trend around the world, where the drinking water gets strategic values, and also because of consciences of all participants in the use of space on the home scene about the importance of water resources in the future development of the country. Croatia is generally talking rich with surface and ground waters, but the large part of water reserves inflow and run out by large rivers (Danube, Sava, Drava), and also the largest part because of the unequal yearly precipitations run of in the shape of high water waves, so even periodically creates problems with floods. On other side, long summer dry periods bring the problem of available water quantities, especially in the Adriatic area. Consequently, in spite of water wealth, Croatia just with the good knowledge about water resources and efficient management can consider about the water as the comparative advantage in future development. Water is in the world promoted as the public good, what means foremost as the "social value" of own development and water supplying of the own population and development activities. However, Croatia more and more works on defining of water reserves, which as the surplus on the necessary reserves can get economic values and have been included in the future water business in Mediterranean, and may be far away (bottling, transport by ships). Croatia in spite of its relative small space has two geological complete different areas. The north part belongs to Pannonian so called plain area, in which beside rivers Sava and Drava exist significant underground aquifers of the porous type of porosity, and south from Karlovac in the mountain area of Dinarides are the karst aquifers of completely different hydrogeological characteristics. Their natural diversity demands completely different research methods and managements. It is necessary to point out that about 90% of water supplies in Croatia are connected on groundwater resources. Groundwater reserves along the rivers Sava and Drava override the needs of the cities in the region (Zagreb, Varaždin, Brod, Koprivnica), but downstream parts of the rivers have the problems because of the growing share of small-grained component in the structure of aquifers. Karst aquifers are because of the high precipitations rich with water, but summer dry seasons make the problems because of natural relatively low retention abilities of aquifers. Considerable enlargements of water reserves are possible by stopping of the high water waves. The large problem last 40 years is the protection of drinking water resources, because only high quality waters can be calculated in the balance of available reserves of drinking water. New Croatian regulation about water protection has been adjusted with requirements of EU Water Directives [11] and specific characteristics of aquifers. Generally, waters in Croatia are of the high qualities, especially in karst areas, what can be the important advantage for future development of tourism, and also planned including of Croatia in the water business in Europe.

water resources; aquifers; Pannonian basin; Dinaric karst; water resources protection

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