ZAGREB, 12 June (Hina) - Minister of Culture and Media Nina Obuljen Koržinek highlighted at the ministerial roundtable "Towards Water Science for Peace", held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, that Croatia has the largest renewable freshwater reserves among EU countries.

Speaking at the roundtable marking the 50th anniversary of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme, the minister underlined the importance of the programme as a testament to continued commitment to global cooperation in addressing the challenges of water resource management, particularly in a time of increasingly intense climate change and rising demand for water, the Ministry of Culture and Media said in a statement.

Obuljen Koržinek noted that Croatia has the largest renewable freshwater reserves in the European Union, with a long-term average of 30,700 cubic metres per capita. Despite this reassuring fact, she emphasised that the Croatian government is well aware of the challenges posed by climate change and therefore prioritises rational and sustainable solutions in water management.

She pointed out that one of the best global examples of the connection between culture, water and nature is the systematic conservation work carried out in Plitvice Lakes National Park - Croatia's oldest national park and a site inscribed on UNESCO's World Natural Heritage List since 1979.

"Through coordinated activities and projects in this protected area, Croatia is committed to preserving all key natural elements, especially the unique lake system and tufa barriers, which are of outstanding universal value from both the perspective of natural science and that of cultural and ecological heritage," Obuljen Koržinek said.

She expressed pride in Croatia's contribution to this important field and recalled that Croatian hydrologist Ognjen Bonacci served as Chair of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme from 2004 to 2006 - an acknowledgement not only of his work but also of the efforts of the entire Croatian scientific community.

Following the conference, the minister took part in an informal meeting of European culture ministers at the French Ministry of Culture, chaired by French Minister Rachida Dati. The main topic of the meeting was the development of the Cultural Compass programme as a framework for negotiations on the EU's multiannual financial framework for 2028-2034, the Ministry said.