On the occasion of Croatia joining the European Union (EU), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on Wednesday presented the campaign "Croatia's Seven River Wonders" at the Lonjsko Polje Nature Park which is aimed at raising awareness of the importance of Croatian rivers and to show what natural jewels Croatia will bring to the EU.
The campaign will run until 14 July and WWF will present Croatia's rivers rich in biological and landscape diversity.
The WWF will present the Mura, Drava and Danube rivers as Croatian continental jewels as well as the UNESCO cross-border biosphere between Croatia and Hungary, Irma Popovic Dujmovic of the WWF Mediterranean Programme told a press conference.
The WWF will also present the Sava river, with the greatest area of flooded forests and an exceptional example of how humans have adapted to flood regions; the Zrmanja, which is said to be breathtaking; the emerald-coloured Neretva, the most threatened river in view of a hydro-electric plant which is to be constructed in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina; and the Ombla, Croatia's shortest river whose source is the centre of cave biodiversity of the Dinara mountain range.
Popovic Dujmovic explained that each of these rivers was under threat and it was vital to protect them and use them for sustainable tourism.
She announced that together with its partner organisations, the WWF would organise a petition to be signed in order to preserve Croatian rivers which will then be presented to Environment and Nature Protection Minister Mihael Zmajlovic on 14 July which should oblige him to work on preserving Croatia's rivers.
