On the occasion of the celebrations of the Day of Croatian Waters Day and 148 years of organised water management in Croatia, 9 contracts for the allocation of non-repayable funds from the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism as part of the activities of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021-2026 (NPOO) for financing the implementation of investment projects in public water supply and public sewerage were ceremoniously handed over.

Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition Marija Vučković, State Secretary of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition Anja Bagarić and State Secretary of the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds Zrinka Raguž attended the Croatian Waters Day ceremony, Director of the Directorate for Water Management and Protection of the Sea Elizabeta Kos, Director General of Croatian Waters Zoran Đuroković, Deputy Director General Davor Vukmirić, Director of the Josip Juraj Strossmayer Water Institute Mario Šiljeg, and other guests.

“Croatian Waters manages tens of thousands of kilometres of watercourses, dams and canals, as well as numerous water regulation and protection facilities. The functioning of such a complex organisation requires not only continuous maintenance, but also considerable investment in development projects. However, the most valuable part of the whole system is the people and their commitment to the work, without whom there would be neither sustainability nor the achievement of the company’s goals. Therefore, I would like to thank the employees of Croatian Waters and the local water suppliers, all those who work diligently to preserve the water in our country. I congratulate the employees on Croatian Waters Day as well as those who will today receive contracts for projects worth 79.2 million euros that will further improve our public water supply, drainage and flood protection. My special congratulations go to the recipients of the Croatian Waters awards for professional and scientific work and the advancement of water management practises Antonela Ivanković, Dora Varjačić and Tin Kulić,” emphasised the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition Marija Vučković.

In addition to the contracts for non-repayable funds, the contracts for co-financing projects were also handed over, which regulate the share of national co-financing components between Croatian Waters and the public water service provider, which is also the applicant and project beneficiary, as well as the partners in co-financing projects.

The total value of the 9 contracts for the allocation of non-repayable funds amounts to €79.2 million (including VAT), of which €63.4 million are total eligible costs and €52.1 million are non-repayable EU funds.

“These 7 water supply projects will construct or rehabilitate 73 km of the public water supply system, giving 10,353 inhabitants access to an improved water supply, while 58.28 km of the public sewerage system and 5 wastewater treatment plants will be constructed or rehabilitated, giving 3.643 inhabitants will have access to an improved sewerage system,” said the Director General of Croatian Waters, Zoran Đuroković, noting: “The total value of 2 contracts for the allocation of non-repayable funds under the call for proposals for the Disaster Risk Reduction Programme amounts to EUR 8.5 million including VAT, of which EUR 6.8 million are non-repayable EU funds. With the planned investments for these 2 projects, a total of 2.77 km of flood protection structures will be built or reconstructed, improving flood protection measures for a total of 25,274 inhabitants and revitalising a watercourse over a length of 1.16 km.”

In addition to the contracts for non-repayable funds and project co-financing agreements, the traditional annual Croatian Waters 2024 awards for professional and scientific work were also presented: Antonela Ivanković for the best diploma thesis in hydraulic engineering, Dora Varjačić for the best diploma thesis in other areas of water management and Tin Kulić for the best doctoral thesis.

On the occasion of the Croatian Waters Day, an article about the Institute for Water “Josip Juraj Strossmayer” was published in the new issue of the Croatian Water Management magazine, in which it is emphasised as the youngest institution in the water management system of the Republic of Croatia, which plays a crucial role in monitoring the state of water resources.

Croatian Waters celebrates 148 years of organised water management in Croatia and commemorates 7 September 1876, when, under the patronage of Bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer of Đakovo, the Society for the Regulation of the Vuka River was founded in Osijek with the aim of regulating and preventing floods, draining swamps and creating navigable paths.

This organisation carried out the first organised water management works on the territory of the then Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia and enabled the inhabitants to live more securely in difficult conditions through a systematic approach to solving water management problems, thus contributing to the social and economic development of society.

This day is also celebrated as the Day of Croatian Waters, an institution that has continued the goals of numerous previous water management organisations which have changed and adapted to the times, historical and social circumstances on the territory of today’s Republic of Croatia.