In anticipation of World Water Day, the 10th international conference WATER FOR ALL took place from 20 to 22 March 2024. The anniversary conference was held in the priceless karst and water phenomenon – Plitvice Lakes, one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The conference proved to be extremely successful and interesting, offering insights into the value of water resources through different professional fields and activities. Despite different approaches and methods, all presentations had a common goal – to emphasise the importance of water resources and the need to protect them.

The varied and interesting programme began with an introductory panel discussion in which: Elizabeta Kos, Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy of the Republic of Croatia and Chairman of the Board of the Josip Juraj Strossmayer Water Institute; Zoran Đuroković, General Director of Hrvatske vode; Goran Bukovac, Mayor of the Town of Otočac; Andrijana Brozinčević on behalf of the Director of Plitvice Lakes National Park; and Ivana Petričević, Director of Quality at Jamnica plus. These esteemed experts complemented each other perfectly on the topic of the common goal of water protection and addressed topics such as the reduction of water consumption in industry, the legal framework for protection and the regional water values of Lika-Senj County.

The Josip Juraj Strossmayer Water Institute actively participated in the conference. The director, Dr Mario Šiljeg, Associate Professor, was one of the first speakers to present the professional and scientific dimension of the Institute, focusing on the monitoring and preservation of water quality as an essential method for the protection of aquatic ecosystems. Oral presentations included Dr Igor Stanković, who spoke about the importance and diversity of benthic algae on travertine barriers in the Plitvice Lakes National Park, Nikola Hanžek on the role of phytoplankton in assessing the ecological status of lakes and Marina Šumanović, who presented a poster on the role of substrates for the diversity of macroscopic benthic invertebrates in streams.

The entire programme was not only interesting and informative, but was excellently complemented by a performance by the cultural and art association “Izvor” Rakovica, an exhibition of unique ceramic items by local artists, a concluding dinner and a guided excursion to Plitvice Lakes National Park.