<p>The river Neretva coastal aquifer system is the largest agricultural area along Croatia's Adriatic Sea coast. With the construction of an embankment, pumping stations, and melioration channels, a once-marshy area has been transformed into an area with favourable agricultural conditions. &#160;Due to its proximity to the sea, numerous anthropogenic impacts in the region, and climate change, groundwater and surface water in the study area are presently significantly influenced by the salinization process.&#160;<br>Multiple times per year, groundwater and surface water samples are collected to fully comprehend saltwater processes and the origin of saltwater in the study area. Within each sample, the concentration of major ions (K+, Na+, Ca+, Mg2+, Cl-, HCO3- and SO42-) is determined under laboratory conditions.<br>The analysis of major ions indicates that seawater intrusion is the primary source of salinization in both unconfined and confined aquifers. In contrast to unconfined aquifer, confined aquifer is minimally affected by precipitation and surface water regimes. In addition, samples of groundwater from unconfined aquifer are categorized into three groups based on their degree of contamination with seawater. The samples from the Diga area that are closest to the Adriatic Sea are most significantly influenced by the seawater. The groundwater quality in the Jasenska area varied significantly between dry and rain periods, whereas groundwater samples from the area of Vidrice revealed the lowest level of seawater contamination. &#160; Neretva river surface water samples reveal the presence of a salt wedge, while river Mala Neretva samples indicate that river Mala Neretva is the primary source of freshwater in the study area during dry season.</p>
<p>Saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers is a global problem recently worsened by anthropogenic activities (e.g., aquifer overexploitation, hydraulic reclamation and drainage of low-lying areas) and climate change effects (e.g., severe droughts, sea level rise) that contribute to reduce groundwater natural recharge, water quality, and agricultural production. Many low-lying coastal plains facing the Adriatic Sea are strongly affected by saltwater intrusion with serious consequences on agricultural activities and tourism that may become dramatic in a relatively short time due to climate change. In this framework, this work aims to identify monitoring strategies to characterize the process of saltwater intrusion under the effects of climate change and recommend appropriate countermeasures in two Adriatic low-lying coastal plain: south of the Venice Lagoon (north-eastern Italy), and at the Neretva River mouth (south-eastern Croatia).</p><p>Geomorphologic, stratigraphic, hydrogeologic, and agricultural data were collected to characterize the aquifer system at both sites and assess the effects of seawater intrusion on agricultural productivity. Saltwater intrusion was monitored and analysed through monitoring systems that provide qualitative and quantitative information on the processes influencing groundwater and surface water dynamics within the two coastal systems. Moreover, laboratory physical models were developed to serve as benchmarks for the numerical models used to simulate the field results. Numerical modelling reliably implements boundary and initial conditions defined in-situ on both sites, simulates existing states, specifies different scenarios, and predicts salinization dynamic changes caused by climate changes.</p><p>The results of the research activities include the development of specific tools for the management of agriculture-related activities and freshwater resources in coastal areas including vulnerability assessment, mitigation plans, and countermeasures against salt contamination. These results were obtained by integrating the findings gained on both sites, considering differences and peculiarities of the specific areas that are representative of many low-lying plains located on both sides of the Adriatic coast.</p><p>This study has been funded by the contribution from the EU cofinancing and the Interreg Italy&#8211;Croatia Cross Border Collaboration (CBC) Programme 2014&#8211;2020 (Priority Axes: Safety and Resilience) through the European Regional Development Fund as a part of the projects MoST &#160;(AID: 10047742) and SeCure (AID: 10419304).</p>
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