Speleolog, Vol. 72 No. 1, 2024.
Stručni rad
A decade of the Clean Underground Program
Ruđer Novak
Sažetak
Deep karst aquifers safeguard as much as 70 % of Croatia's drinking water reserves, while these areas also serve as habitats for a globally unique and sensitive subterranean fauna. Due to their porous structure and slow natural purification processes, karst ecosystems are highly vulnerable to pollution. For this reason, illegal waste dumping represents one of the most serious threats to our caves and sinkholes. The Clean Underground project, launched in 2014 under the auspices of the Zagreb Speleological Association, focuses on documenting and remediating pollution while advocating for the long-term protection of speleological sites through political lobbying and education. The initiative has brought together 36 speleological organizations, creating a database of over 1,000 polluted and cleaned underground locations. By the end of 2024, we have initiated the cleanup of more than 100 sites and established collaboration with national nature and environmental protection agencies. One of the most significant outcomes of our work is that, starting in 2023, the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund began financing the cleanup of caves and sinkholes, ensuring the long-term sustainability of these efforts. However, waste removal is only one link in the chain of speleological site protection. To ensure that the underground remains preserved for the future, educating children is essential. We have recently elevated this effort significantly through the "Clean Underground Ambassadors" program. In one school year, our speleologist ambassadors conducted lectures in 240 schools, reaching approximately 11,300 children across karst regions of Croatia. Such a national campaign promoting speleology and underground protection has never been seen before, and we are confident it represents the right path to halting the destruction of this unique landscape. Clean Underground is a program driven by a community of enthusiasts that, over ten years of work, has catalyzed tangible solutions to the problem of pollution in speleological sites.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
329405
URI
Datum izdavanja:
13.3.2025.
Posjeta: 394 *