The establishment of the Water Institute was envisioned in the 2008 Water Management Strategy (OG 91/08). The act of its establishment fulfils one of the strategic provisions of this document (A13), which states: “To enhance the performance of scientific and professional tasks, the preparation of supporting documents and strategic planning documents, the development of water management plans, and the drafting of legislative and regulatory acts by establishing a scientific and professional institution for water, to be founded by the Government of the Republic of Croatia at the proposal of the ministry responsible for water management.”
Considering the fact that since 2008, Croatia’s entire water legislation has been based on the principles outlined in the aforementioned national strategic document, the 2009 Water Act (OG 153/09) included an option to establish a scientific institution for water in Article 222, Paragraph 1. This provision remained in effect for 9 (nine) years, throughout all amendments to the Water Act (OG 153/09, 63/11, 130/11, 56/13, 14/14, and 46/18), up until 18 July 2019, when the current Water Act (OG 66/19) came into force, transforming this optional provision into a mandatory one, thereby implementing the strategic directive (A13) from the Water Management Strategy. On 23 December 2021, the Government of the Republic of Croatia issued the founding act, the Regulation on the Establishment of the Josip Juraj Strossmayer Water Institute (OG 143/21). The Institute was named after Josip Juraj Strossmayer, a Croatian bishop, theologian, and politician, who was a key founder of central Croatian scientific and cultural institutions in the 19th century. Moreover, he is regarded as the founder of organised water management in Croatia. The Institute was officially registered in the court register on 23 February 2022.