-Water is a chemical compound with the chemical formula H2O - Ever since the beginning of the human kind, the water is necessary for their existance

We have reached the pupils from Italy to find out more about the water and environment in their country. They provided us with information that we have added to our research. Italy Croatia

Croatian rivers are not only a source of drinking water, but also areas of exceptional natural beauty. Therefore, numerous areas around watercourses are legally declared as protected natural areas, national parks, reserves, forests, natural parks, protected landscapes and monuments. But it's not just about untouched nature. We got lucky with clean and abundant streams and they are areas of precious historical, cultural and scientific importance.

Today Croatia has eight national parks, and they are: Brijuni Kornati Krka Mljet Paklenica Plitvice Lakes Risnjak Northern Velebit

And some of natural & mountain parks: KOPAČKI RIT BIOKOVO LASTOVO ARCHIPELAGO LONJSKO POLJE PAPUK TELAŠĆICA

River Sava River Dunav River Drava River Krka

Lake Vransko Lake Bajer Fužine Lake Modro Lake Varaždin

Croatia is a very popular destination among tourists, especially the Adriatic sea.

- Cres - Krk - Hvar - Pag - Dugi otok - Mljet - Vis - Rab Croatia has 1244 islands, of which 67 are inhabited.

Croatia is the third country in Europe for its abundancy in water and we are lucky to have a lot of drinkable water. At the beginning of the third millennium United Nations proclaimed the new International Decade for Water ( ). 'Water Life', in which the water from Croatia has a very important economic asset. Croatian Water Resources have the economic value that exceeds the local and regional significance. Croatian water resources

The well of the river Lonja near our school

The fish-pond in Topličica!

Belski Dol

The Peninsula and its two major isles have 69 natural lakes, 183 artificial lakes, 234 streams and rivers and 500 surface and underground streams. In Italy water-supply for domestic use was achieved by wells and tunnel. General Plan of Aqueduct establishes daily liters of water per person on the strength of number of inhabitants of residential zone, number of businesses, flows of tourism and statistical analysis of demographic tendency.

Italian national parks Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise Alta Murgia Appennino Lucano - Val d'Agri - Lagonegrese Appennino Tosco-Emiliano Arcipelago di la Maddalena Arcipelago Toscano Asinara Aspromonte Cilento and Vallo di Diano Cinque Terre Circeo Dolomiti Bellunesi Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona, Campigna Gargano Gennargentu Gran Paradiso Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga Majella Monti Sibillini Pollino Sila Val Grande Vesuvius Stelvio

Water-supply in Italy Alpes are the most important source of water-supply of continental Europe. In fact it shows many lakes, rivers and streams. Italy is the Country of Southern Europe which has the richest of water-resources. A problem which often presents itself regarding drinking water is water pollution.

While in the north of Italy, 8.5% of the population does not have sufficient amounts of water, this rises to 18% in central Italy, 55% on the islands, and 78% in the south. These areas are considered to be under the threat of supply disruptions in drought years. Italians consume 152 cubic meters of water for civilian use each year. Still the biggest waste was in agriculture, which uses some 70 percent of the total amount of disposable water. Italy's national reservoirs are now half empty and that it has begun to trigger serious problems for agriculture, particularly in the central regions such as Tuscany.

Few months ago, ISTAT has published management and control summary of water in Italy. The picture is quite serious especially in the matter of waste produced by those who leave the tap turned on or produced by wastes of water mains. But water won't be abundant in the future. According to studies, 18 million people in Italy annually are confronted with at least one slight water shortage, and 18% of Italian families have been recorded as having irregular distribution patterns. Some water distribution is also uneven, and can be explained by economic factors; for example, people in Lombardy drink nine times more bottled water than Campania. 25% of the overall population has inadequate water resources.

-The Adriatic Sea contains more than 1300 islands and islets, most along the Adriatic's eastern coast—especially in Croatia, with 1,246 counted. - All types of seafloor sediments are found in the Adriatic Sea. - The Adriatic Sea is a branch of the Mediterranean Sea separating the Apennine peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula and the Apennines of Dinarids. - Adriatic sea is relatively warm - temperatures do not fall below 11 ° C.

Croatians are very proud of their coast but it is very important that we keep our sea and coast clean. Due to marine litter big issue in Croatia represents waste in coastal region (beaches, sea bed, pollution from ships, plastic waste, radioactive waste)

Even 80% of marine litter comes from land, 36% from tourism, 13% from fishery activities and 10% from other pollutants.

There are no systematic coordinated actions on collecting waste neither the system of evidence and monitoring of marine litter. Fortunately there are some positive actions of cleaning hard reacheable beaches and sea beds that take place every year thanks to the Ecological centers, schools, associations, diving clubs etc.

Every kind of waste is problematic and it is very important that we think about the future and keep our sea clean!