The BLUE RECHARGE project addresses critical challenges in groundwater management across Croatia and Italy by promoting sustainable practices that ensure the long-term availability and quality of this vital resource. The project focuses on three interconnected goals:
- the project aims to maintain good groundwater quality and quantity, enhancing aquifer recharging rates, and implementing technical solutions such as managed aquifer recharge (MAR).
- the project introduces an innovative incentive system called Blue Credits to promote aquifer recharge through technical, financial, and market-based mechanisms. This system creates a market for buying and selling credits, encouraging stakeholders to actively participate in groundwater protection efforts.
- the project develops a shared integrated knowledge system to support data-driven decision-making and raise public awareness. This system identifies aquifer recharge areas and vulnerabilities, enhances understanding among water users, and demonstrates the feasibility of technical solutions for sustainable groundwater management.
Through fostering collaboration between public authorities, research institutions, and private companies, the BLUE RECHARGE project will provide comprehensive guidelines for implementing groundwater resource policies in Croatia and Italy. By combining technical innovation, economic incentives, and community engagement, the project ensures the long-term sustainability of groundwater management for future generations.
Project Code: ITHR0200450
Project Start: February 2024
Project Completion: August 2026
FIZRI Project Team
Assoc. Prof. Diana Mance, PhD, FIZRI Project Leader
Prof. Marin Karuza, PhD
Assist. Prof. Marija Kolympadi Markovic, PhD
Assoc. Prof. Darko Mekterović, PhD
Assiist. Prof. Marija Čargonja, PhD
Boris Mifka, PhD
Karlo Veličan, mag. phys.
Project Partners
City of Vodnjan (Lead Partner)
Istrian Water Supply System
Faculty of Economics in Rijeka, University of Rijeka
Venetian Cluster (Italy)
ART-ER Joint Stock Consortium Company (Italy)
EXO (Italy)
Emiliano Romagnolo Canal Reclamation & Irrigation Board (Italy)
Associated Partners
Istrian County
Vodovod Pula
Global Network of Water Museums (Italy)
Emilia Romagna Region – Directorate for Territorial and Environmental Management (Italy)
Financing
The BLUE RECHARGE project is co-financed by the European Union from the Interreg Italy-Croatia program
Total estimated budget: €1,989,799.95
FIZRI estimated budget: €257,810.00
