Croatia ranked 1st for renewable freshwater resources in EU

Krka River, Croatia

ZAGREB, 22 March (Hina) – In terms of renewable freshwater resources Croatia ranks first in the EU with 30,700 m3 per capita, according to the data from Eurostat.

According to UNESCO data, Croatia ranks fifth in Europe and 42nd in the world in terms of the availability and richness of water resources.

“When it comes to water quality protection, the situation in Croatia is predominantly good,” a source from the environment protection and green transition ministry said in a statement to Hina on World Water Day.

The ministry says that numerous activities are being carried out to protect water, as well as projects and programmes related to public water supply and drainage, the treatment of municipal wastewater, as well as flood protection, river revitalisation, and irrigation projects.

For this purpose, among other things, non-repayable EU funds have been mobilised, and through 60 water and utility projects, with a total value of €3.9 billion, of which €2.2 billion are grants, an additional 300,000 residents will benefit from improved public water supply, and 800,000 residents will have an enhanced wastewater treatment system.

Croatia is continuously investing in the development and upgrade of the public irrigation system.

So far, 29 new systems have been built, and nine have been rehabilitated, enabling the irrigation of around 21,400 hectares of agricultural land, with an expenditure of €152.5 million.

As the impact of climate change is reflected in water quantities, the ministry states that one of the key tasks is the rationalisation of water consumption, particularly in water supply systems.

Reducing losses is a priority and an integral part of the reform in the water services sector, which includes the integration of water service providers, downsizing their number from 200 to 41, a process which is nearing completion.

World Water Day, observed on 22 March, was established by the United Nations in 1993 to raise awareness of the importance of water to human lives and the need for its sustainable use. The theme of this year’s celebrations is Glacier Preservation.

Protecting the lower Neretva basin against salinisation

This year’s World Water Day is dedicated to the preservation of glaciers, which hold almost 70% of the world’s fresh water reserves. Unfortunately, climate change is significantly impacting their loss, threatening to raise sea levels, increase water levels, cause flooding, and other harmful effects.

The risk of rising sea levels and salinisation also exists for the River Neretva, a 230-kilometre-long river, one of the coldest in Europe, with the last 22 kilometres flowing through Croatia and ending in the Adriatic Sea, says the ministry, adding that a project for the protection of the lower Neretva has been designed to protect the river.

Neretva

On the occasion of this year’s World Water Day, which highlights the concerning melting of glaciers, Marija Tomac from Greenpeace Croatia called on Croatia to ratify the UN’s Global Ocean Treaty as soon as possible.

She described it as a “beacon of hope” for the health of the planet, as it provides a framework for the protection of ecosystems that play a crucial role in the hydrological cycle and the creation of a more sustainable future.