Neretva Delta

Neretva Delta is the river delta of the Neretva, a river that flows through Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia and empties in the Adriatic Sea. The delta is a unique landscape in southern Croatia,^[2] and a wetland that is listed under the Ramsar Convention as internationally important, as the wetland extends into the Hutovo Blato in Herzegovina.^[3]

Neretva Delta
Neretva Delta, near the estuary, Lower Neretva
Neretva Delta Show map of Croatia Neretva Delta (Dinaric Alps) Show map of Dinaric Alps
Physical characteristics
Mouth
• coordinates	43.01971°N 17.44523°E / 43.01971; 17.44523

Designations
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Neretva River Delta
Designated	18 January 1993
Reference no.	585[1]

The delta has been largely cultivated for agriculture.

The fresh water from the river allows for green fields that are visibly distinct from the surrounding rugged karst terrain.

The total alluvial area of the delta is estimated at around 19,000 ha (73 sq mi),^[4] while today the delta takes up roughly 11,490 ha (44.4 sq mi).^[5]

A total of 1,620 ha (6.3 sq mi) of the delta are designated protected areas:^[6][7]

• ornithological reserves: Prud, Orepak, Podgredom
• ornithological and ichthyological reserve at the river mouth
• protected landscape: lake Modro oko

An additional 1200 ha of nature in the delta is not protected.^[6] In 2003, the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning organized a public discussion about the proposal to make the delta a nature park.^[8] In 2007, the experts from the State Institute for Nature Protection made another formal proposal for the Neretva Delta to become a nature park.^[7][9] A public discussion process was started but quickly terminated by the Ministry of Culture, allegedly because of protests from the local government.^[10]

References

1. "Neretva River Delta". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
2. Jasmina Mužinić (2007). "The Neretva Delta: Green Pearl of Coastal Croatia". Croatian Medical Journal. 48 (2): 127–129. PMC 2121601.
3. "Neretva Delta". Transboundary Cooperation Through the Management of Shared Natural Resources. Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC). Archived from the original on 2010-06-14. Retrieved 2012-05-15.
4. Ljubenkov, Igor; Vranješ, Mijo (April 2012). "Numerical model of stratified flow – case study of the Neretva riverbed salination (2004)". Građevinar (in Croatian). 64 (2). Zagreb: Croatian association of civil engineers: 103. ISSN 0350-2465. Retrieved 2012-05-15.
5. Todorović, Bojan (2005-04-28). "Delta Neretve - od močvare do intenzivne poljoprivrede" (in Croatian). Hrvatsko geografsko društvo. Archived from the original on 2010-06-18. Retrieved 2012-05-15. Meliorativne zone Donje Neretve sa brutto i netto površinom (u ha) [...] ERCEG, J., 2003.: Stanje hidromelioracijskih sustava na slivnom području Neretve-Donja Neretva, stručno-znanstveni skup- "Stanje i održivi razvoj hidromelioracijskih sustava u Hrvatskoj-Preduvjet razvoja poljoprivrede", 28. i 29. listopada 2003., Zagreb.
6. "Ornitološka zbirka" (in Croatian). City of Metković Tourist Board. 2001. Retrieved 2012-05-15.
7. "Delta Neretve kao park prirode" (PDF) (in Croatian). State Institute for Nature Protection (Croatia). February 2008. Retrieved 2012-05-15.
8. "Delta Neretve uskoro postaje parkom prirode" (in Croatian). Index.hr. 2003-03-19. Retrieved 2012-05-16.
9. "Baseline study for permanent protection". State Institute for Nature Protection (Croatia). Retrieved 2012-05-16. Name of the area: Neretva Delta; Category: Nature park; Year of expert base proposal: 2007
10. "Misteriozno otkazano javno izlaganje" (in Croatian). www.metkovic.hr. 2007-06-01. Retrieved 2012-05-15.