ABSTRACT
Almost half of Croatia is karst. It is difficult to separate groundwater from surface waters in karst areas. Karst areas require an integrated water quality and quantity assessment as well as water resources risk assessment for each groundwater body (GWB). In heterogeneous karst conditions there are considerable difficulties in delineating GWBs as well as in the assessment of groundwater quality and quantity status according to the European Union Water Framework Directive. The fact that groundwater monitoring in Croatia is in a developing stage is an additional problem, so that initial characterisation and groundwater risk assessment have been based upon data gathered during the period 2000-2007. This paper presents the methodological approach which was applied on the Croatian karst, and a summary of the findings.
