engleski

Utilization of traditional water supply systems as a solution for water shortages on Croatian islands

The Croatian archipelago consists of 1246 islands, islets and rocks, with only 47 islands permanently inhabited. Total population of the inhabited islands is 125.000 which is a mere 3% of the total Croatian population. The islands’ traditional agriculture-based economy was transformed during the second half of the 20th century due to a growth of mass tourism which created a substantial pressure on the islands' water resources. The islands receive between 700 and 1.500 mm of annual rainfall, but due to the prevailing highly permeable carbonate rocks (i.e. limestone), most of the water rapidly infiltrates underground. Water shortages can occur periodically since the peak of the water consumption coincides with summer, the driest period of the year. Only a few larger islands have substantial local water sources while other rely on the water transported from the mainland either through water mains or by special water carrier ships. Historically, settlements on the islands depend on often scarce local water sources as well as on collecting rainwater during the wet season. Traditional means of collecting water were mostly abandoned when modern water supply systems were introduced. However, the expanding tourism creates a constant increase in the demand for water. Therefore, there is a need for alternative water sources, especially on smaller islands. Apart from high-tech and often expensive solutions (i.e. desalination, waste water recycling), utilization of the once abandoned traditional means should be considered as cheap and ready-to-use method of obtaining additional water. Such methods should be used as a back-up for modern supply systems during the consumption peaks. Due to the fact that the water thusly obtained is often of lower quality, it could be used primarily in agriculture, which would leave more water from the water mains for the purpose of human consumption. Furthermore, global climate change and the associated sea-level rise could affect already vulnerable islands’ aquifers through the infiltration of saltwater which additionally emphasizes the importance of the implementation of the traditional water supply systems in the future.

Croatia; islands; water supply; traditional methods; water shortages; tourism

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