ABSTRACT
Environmental indicators are a tool to measure results of human activities and their impacts on nature and biodiversity. Water dependent ecosystems are under increasing pressure from human activities and in karst they are exposed to greater potential hazard because of the high vulnerability of karst aquifers. The aquifers of the Dinaric karst, one of the largest karst systems in the world, are abundant in water reserves; however there are several important potential threats to environmental and water quality values which have been identified through environmental and socio-economic surveys conducted within the DIKTAS project. Five strategic Environment Quality Targets are envisaged in this project: two (Groundwater sustainably used; Water and soil quality controlled and improved) have a direct relationship with the karst aquifer, while the other three (Agricultural, industrial and tourist sectors sustainably developed; Energy used efficiently and in a sustainable manner; Measures to protected nature formulated and applied) have an indirect relation to the karstic aquifers. A list comprising 25 different indicators was derived to assess pressures on groundwater quantity and quality as well as resulting pressures on dependent ecosystems in selected transboundary aquifers. Estimating indicator values will support sustainable water use and protection of ecosystems in specific karst environment.
