engleski

Sustainable water policies in tourist areas: the case of Villasimius

A large part of the Mediterranean basin is characterized by semi-arid and arid climates which – together with other factors such as geological basis and human influence – affect fresh water availability in the region. In the past, human settlements depended on often scarce water resources which were able to sustain only limited population. In modern times, such shortcomings are resolved by applying modern hydrotechnical solutions which enable the use of previously inaccessible water resources (e.g. deep groundwater, sea water, etc.). Southern Sardinia is a typical semi-arid region with limited local water resources and dense population, which makes it rely on transport of fresh water from remote, more humid areas of the island. The Villasimius municipality is a good example of a small community dealing with a conflict of modern economical development and limited water supply. In the recent decades, traditional agriculture- based economy was replaced by fast growing tourism which peaks in dry summer months, thus creating immense pressure on local water sources. To meet the increasing water demands, several modern technical solutions, such as waste water recycling and desalination of sea water, were applied. Even so, the availability of water presents a key issue in municipalities’ present economic development

Villasimius ; water resources ; tourism ; waste water treatment ; desalination

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