engleski

Karstology - how can it help in sustainable development?

Karstology can be defined as the science of integrating hydrological, geomorphological, hydrogeological, ecological, biological, socio-economics, political and all others processes over varied spatial and temporal scales in specific karst regions. Scientists, as well as practitioners do not agree on the details of the definition, importance, future development and its role, but they agree that cooperation between all above mentioned disciplines could help in solving many critical problems dealing with sustainable developments of society and environment in vulnerable karst terrains. Till now karstology is generally part of geosciences community, but in the near future it should connect geosciences with social and humanitarian scientific and practical disciplines. Karst as a specific landscape and environment needs new achievements in karstology in order to better placed to find answers to further challenges. Karstology can be understood as logical and effective holistic integration of many different approaches. Role of hydrology (or water and its changes in time and space) in karstology is of crucial importance. The new global problems in karst regions connected with water and environment need a new scientific and administrative framework which will be able to solve them more efficiently. Development of karstology as real interdisciplinary and holistic scientific and practical discipline can help in achieving this goal. In the paper is stressed that existing capacity building is not adequate to help karstology in achieving of real interdisciplinarity and theoretical as well as practical efficiency. Authors try to answer on the exciting question: “ How karstology can support sustainable development” .

Karstology; ecology; socioeconomy; politic; cooperation

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