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Climate Change Impacts on Groundwater Resources in the Coastal Karstic Adriatic Area: A Case Study from the Dinaric Karst

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Abstract

The Bokanjac–Poličnik system, as a complex set of mutually interrelated Dinaric karst catchments and sub-catchments, is a highly vulnerable and limited groundwater source for the wider Zadar area in northern Dalmatia, Croatia. Based on hydrogeological, hydrochemical, and hydrological research, including the prediction of groundwater discharge by the end of the twenty-first century, a complex study was performed with the following main aims: (1) groundwater protection in the present state, (2) assessment of future groundwater protection, and (3) prediction of drinking water availability and quality under the predicted climate change conditions. Long-term prediction of changes in groundwater quantity, as well as investigations of trends in groundwater quality, will allow us to protect this essential natural resource with respect to possible negative trends. The results showed that a significant decrease in the quantity of available groundwater is possible and that extraction will have to be well planned because any decrease in the groundwater pressure in this area will cause a further decrease in quality, especially regarding the possibility of seawater intrusions into the aquifer. The results of this study were incorporated in sanitary protection zones.

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Data Availability

Data procured as described in “Materials and Methods” section, which are not directly presented in the paper, are public domain and can be procured from the corresponding author upon request.

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Acknowledgments

The authors express their gratitude to the research investors and the projects within which the research was performed, which are the following: (1) Zadarska County, local authority (thanks to Mr. Olivio Meštrović); (2) CC-WaterS project (Transnational cooperation SEE project funded by the EU); (3) Basic Hydrogeological Map of Croatia; and (4) University of Rijeka project number “uniri-technic-18-298.” The authors thank colleagues from the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service, and especially Dr. Ivan Güttler. We acknowledge the friendly help from the Zadar water supply company (Vodovod d.o.o. Zadar). Geological background was used according to Basic geological map, scale 1: 100 000, Zadar sheet (Majcen et al. 1970).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Croatian Geological Survey, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Jasmina Lukač Reberski & Josip Terzić

  2. Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Rijeka, 51000, Rijeka, Croatia

    Josip Rubinić & Maja Radišić

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  1. Jasmina Lukač Reberski
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  2. Josip Rubinić
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Correspondence to Jasmina Lukač Reberski.

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Lukač Reberski, J., Rubinić, J., Terzić, J. et al. Climate Change Impacts on Groundwater Resources in the Coastal Karstic Adriatic Area: A Case Study from the Dinaric Karst. Nat Resour Res 29, 1975–1988 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-019-09558-6

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