Organised by the Embassy of the State of Israel, a meeting was held on the participation of Croatian experts in the International Water Technology Fair in Jerusalem, Israel, which will take place from 16 to 19 September 2024. The representative of the Croatian delegation was Mario Šiljeg, director of the Institute, who presented the status of the Croatian water and municipal sector on behalf of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition. The meeting was also attended by representatives of Croatian Waters and the Croatian Association for Water Supply and Sanitation. Future cooperation was expressed through the mutual interest of Israel and Croatia in various areas of this sector, especially in the field of exchange of experience, especially in the training of employees of public water service providers, which is to be carried out by the Water Institute on the basis of the Regulation on Special Conditions for the Provision of Water Services.

Among the topics emphasised at the meeting were the reduction of losses in water supply, the management of excess sludge from wastewater treatment plants and individual water supply systems on islands (desalination).

“With an average of 30,000 cubic metres per capita, the Republic of Croatia has the highest per capita water reserves in the EU, according to EUROSTAT. Today, about 94% of the population in Croatia is connected to the public water supply, while 56% of Croatian citizens have the opportunity to connect to the wastewater infrastructure,” explained Mario Šiljeg, director of the Institute, emphasising that Croatia uses both EU and national funds for the implementation of these financially demanding activities, highlighting that 60 projects with a total value of 3.5 billion euros have been approved.

The meeting was attended by Israeli Ambassador to Croatia Gary Koren and his staff, expert Eric Benharrous and Kenes Exhibitions, the organiser of WATEC Israel 2024.

Further meetings have been proposed in Israel at the International Water Technology Summit WATEC Israel 2024 and in Croatia at the conference CROVIK – Current Issues in Water Supply and Drainage, which will take place in Pula from 23 to 27 October 2024.

WATEC Israel 2024 will bring together leading experts, investors, scientists and policy makers from around the world to discuss the latest innovations and technologies in the field of water resource management. Israeli technologies in this field are recognised for their progress and innovation. This event offers a unique opportunity to learn about the latest achievements in the fields of water treatment, desalination, water conservation and water resource management.