Wastewater reuse in agriculture and social acceptance: case study region of Istria County

master's thesis

• Author: Ivan Puž
• Mentor: Monika Zovko (mentor)
• Committee member: Monika Zovko (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Marina Bubalo Kovačić (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Nataša Bokan (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Agriculture; (Department of Soil Amelioration); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2023-09-29, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOTECHNICAL SCIENCES; Agronomy

Abstract

The Istria County is facing limitations in its natural water resources, resulting in
increased pressure on water usage, particularly during the summer months when demand
rises due to agriculture and tourism. To address this issue, the potential application of treated
wastewater in agriculture to conserve limited water resources was investigated. The objective
of this master's thesis was to conduct research on wastewater management and explore its
sustainable utilization in Istria County's agriculture. A survey was conducted among various
stakeholders, including farmers, academic staff, the tourism sector, and the public sector, the
survey was sent on 120 personal emails yielding 36 valid responses. The research results
indicate a high level of education and the presence of individual agricultural holdings among
the majority of respondents. Although they are aware of water scarcity issues during the
summer and have a basic understanding of the concept of reusing treated wastewater, most
respondents lack sufficient information regarding the quality and possibilities of using such
water for irrigation in agriculture. The conclusion underscores the need to educate
stakeholders to support the sustainable application of treated wastewater in Istria County's
agriculture.

Abstract (croatian)

Istarska županija suočava se s ograničenim prirodnim vodenim resursima, što izaziva
pritisak na korištenje vode, osobito tijekom ljetnih mjeseci kada potražnja raste zbog
poljoprivrede i turizma. Kako bi se riješio ovaj problem, istražena je moguća primjena
tretiranih otpadnih voda u poljoprivredi radi očuvanja ograničenih vodenih resursa. Cilj ovog
diplomskog rada bio je provesti istraživanje gospodarenja otpadnim vodama i razmotriti
njihovu održivu primjenu u poljoprivredi Istarske županije. Provedena anketa među različitim
dionicima, uključujući poljoprivrednike, znanstveno-nastavno osoblje, turistički sektor i javni
sektor, poslano je 120 individualnih email adresa te prikupila je 36 valjanih odgovora. Rezultati
istraživanja ukazuju na visoku stručnu spremu i prisutnost vlastitih poljoprivrednih
gospodarstava među većinom ispitanika. Iako su svjesni problema s nedostatkom vode
tijekom ljeta i razumiju osnovni koncept ponovne uporabe otpadnih voda, većina ispitanika
nema dovoljno informacija o kvaliteti i mogućnostima korištenja tih voda za navodnjavanje u
poljoprivredi. Zaključak naglašava potrebu za edukacijom dionika kako bi se podržala održiva
primjena tretiranih otpadnih voda u poljoprivredi Istarske županije.

• Keywords: water reuse; agriculture; resource management; climate change; drought
• Keywords (croatian): ponovna uporaba voda; poljoprivreda; upravljanje resursima; klimatske promjene; suša
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:204:794103
• Study programme: Title: Environment, Agriculture and Resource Management; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: Master of Engineering in Agriculture (Master of Engineering in Agriculture)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2023-11-03 09:52:28