River Cetina Watershed and the Adjacent Coastal Area: Environmental and Socio-Economic Profile

The interactive and functional relationships between the coastal and river basin areas have been accentuated by the growth of economic, urbanisation and tourism activities, changes within the infrastructure systems, and needs to supply coastal settlements and tourist facilities with fresh water, energy and food among other necessities. Such a complex web of interrelationships involving the mutual impacts of the coastal and river basin area, requires an extensive and systematic interdisciplinary analysis. The general objectives of this study are as follows: To apply the principles of the "Conceptual Framework and Planning Guidelines for Integrated Coastal Area and River Basin Management" to issues concerning the Cetina basin and its adjacent coastal area; to investigate their interrelations (functional, socio-economic, natural, and others), as well as to clarify and quantify them; to provide support to the local administrative units and Split-Dalmatia county in the preparation of the integrated river basin and coastal area management strategy; and, to develop the respective planning and managerial instruments in order to facilitate decision-making which is crucial to both the management and protection of the Cetina basin and its associated coastal area.