engleski

Water management on Croatian islands – a question of survival

One of the basic features of the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea is its large archipelago. It consists of 1, 246 island and islets with total surface of 3, 259 sq km - about 5.8% of Croatian territory (56, 542 sq km). Islands' total population is 121, 606 or 2.74% of the total population of the Republic of Croatia (4, 437, 460 according to the 2001 census) but only 47 islands are inhabited because of its small surface (only 79 islands are larger than 1 sq km). Islands' traditional economy was based on agriculture and fishery which often could not provide regular incomes for the locals. A crisis in the traditional economy in the beginning of the 20th century caused massive overseas emigration and depopulation of the islands, a process still largely present. The main obstacle for islands' economic and social development has been the inadequate water supply system especially on the smaller offshore islands. The lack of surface water is due to the predominant karst relief, although the annual rainfall is substantial (700 mm to 1500 mm). The surface water appears only in the contact zones of the permeable and impermeable rocks (e.g. limestone and flysch, respectively). Larger islands, as well as those closer to the coast have better water supply systems while the more distant islands suffer constant water shortage. Some of the islands were connected to the mainland waterlines, and some are using water from their own sources. The increasing number of tourists in the summer (dry season) puts immense pressure on the existing infrastructure, so the future development of the islands is crucially related to solving the problem of water supply.

Islands; water management; karst; Croatia

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