engleski

Western Islands of the Zadar Archipelago (South Croatia) - Geographical Problems of the Coastal Development and Engeneering

The paper deals with some recent problems of the western part of Zadar Archipelago in the Croatian Adriatic. The islands belonging to the group are Silba, Olib, Premuda, Molat and Ist (with Škarda island). They pertain to small Croatian islands, with an area of 85, 9 km 2, and only 925 inhabittants in 7 settlements (1991). The geographical problems of recent development have been connected with the isolation and dispersion of the zone, singularity of each island, poor natural resources (carbonate sediments and soils, lack of water, dry summers etc.), and sociogeographical and economical decrease (depopulation, closing of industries, fisheries, schools etc.). In the 18th and 19th cenuries this zone was much more developed and well known for its maritime activities (fishing and navigation). The climax of inhabitation was at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th c., and was accompanied by a specific balance between density of population and natural possibilities of the development. The result was the degradation of the natural holm oak forests and maquis, as well as a highly expressed agricultural expansion to the last piece of the arable and pasture land. Depopulation in the 20th c., which has been the result of the expressed emigration and the collapse of sailing on these islands, resulted finally in almost no natality, a high mortality rate, and prevaluation of elderly population. It led to some kond of revitalization of the antural forests and maquis, and to certain attempts to proclaim some of the islands nature reserves (Silba, Olib, Grebeni). The problem is how to redevelop these islands and include them in the general process of growth along the Croatian coast. Some planning documents (Spatial Plan of the Zadar Commune, 1978-2000, Zadar 1978 ; Spatial Plan of the City of Zadar, in the process of compilation) have been trying to define the basis of revitalization, but unsuccessfully so far.

Zadar Archipelago; Coastal Development; Silba; Olib; Premuda; Ist; Molat

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