Assessment of achieving sustainable goals from the groundwater management and protection perspective in Slovenia

Abstract

Achieving the sustainable goals for management and protection of groundwater resources in shallow aquifers in Slovenia was evaluated with stress indicators for the alluvial aquifers of groundwater bodies with the highest quantitative and qualitative pressures: Savska kotlina with Ljubljansko Barje, Savinjska kotlina, Krška kotlina, Dravska kotlina and Murska kotlina. We have deepened the approach taken so far to assess the status of groundwater in Slovenia as defined by the Water Framework Directive for the area of individual bodies of water. The level of groundwater exploitation is markedly higher in some of the most polluted parts of shallow groundwater bodies than has been estimated so far in whole groundwater bodies. In some cases, such as Ljubljansko polje aquifer, the groundwater withdrawals in mid-low-water conditions are already approaching half of all available groundwater resources. In some alluvial aquifers of groundwater bodies, such as Krška, Dravska and Murska kotlina, the level of groundwater nitrate pollution in dry years has already exceeded the limit for the sustainable protection of groundwater resources.