Protection and sustainable utilization of groundwater resources in the Republic of Croatia

This paper presents the relevant hydrogeological, socio-economical and legal aspects of the protection and sustainable utilization of groundwater resources of the Dinaric Karst Aquifer System in the Republic of Croatia. It describes fundamental causes of environmental problems and major sociological issues of concern in the region and reveals the main challenges to water resource governance. Finally, it provides insights of the way stakeholders in Croatia look at the protection and sustainable utilization of groundwater resources in the Dinaric karst region.