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Regional hydrological analyses of water resources in Dinaric karst area in Croatia - quantity and risk assessment

As basis for water resources quantity assessment which is being conducted in accordance with the EU Water Framework Directive, the regional hydrological and hydrogeological analyses have been conducted in the Croatian karst area. The Croatian karst areas are a part of Croatia and its hinterland as well as the Adriatic islands. Almost half of the Croatian territory belongs to the karst area characterized by specific surface and underground morphological features and discharge conditions. What prevails in the geological structure are carbonate rocks with fully developed karst forms. Seventien groundwater bodies were outlined in Croatian karst area. The largest part of the Croatian karst area belongs to the Adriatic catchment area and is subterraneously drained towards the coastal springs and hydrologically uncontrolled vruljas along the Adriatic coast. The measured climatological and hydrological data as well as data of different water usage have been used when assessing the quantity of water. The regional hydrological analyses and assessments as well as assessments of time trends of water state have been conducted. The period used for the assessment of the recent quantity amount is the one from 2000-2007. The hydrological conditions of this period were compared to the referential 30 year period from 1961-1990. Due to the prominent heterogeneity of karst area drainage and the presence of significant unlocalized groundwater discharges directly to the Adriatic Sea, the hydrological monitoring covers only a smaller part of water resources. Therefore, in order to make a water quantity assessment of hydrological conditions, a series of regional hydrological analyses have been conducted also by using original approach in hydrologic interrelationships analysis. The results have shown that the smaller catchment areas, that is, the catchment areas with smaller flows show greater sensitivity to such water balance decrease occurrences.

Dinaric karst; water resources; regional hydrological analyses; EU Water Framework Directive; groundwater bodies

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