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The main objective of the KaraWAT project was to enable a clear and structured strategy for sustainable water management in the cross-border Karawanken/Karavanke UNESCO Global Geopark, due to the numerous challenges in the field of water management. This strategy will serve as an instrument of action for the 14 municipalities involved, with a catalog of recommendations for measures that allow bilaterally harmonized water management procedures.

The Karawanken/Karavanke UNESCO Global Geopark is one of 161 UNESCO Global Geoparks in 44 countries. These landscapes are of international significance because of their high geodiversity. Geodiversity is defined as the variety of earth materials, forms and processes that constitute and shape the Earth. They are managed with a holistic concept of nature protection, education and sustainable development. The project KaraWAT contributes in this context to the sustainable management of water resources.

Project partners were Geological Survey of Slovenia as lead partner, EVTZ Geopark Karawanken m.b.H. and Fachhochschule Kärnten with the UNESCO Chair for Management of Conservation Areas. These partners worked together, supported by experts from the Office of the Carinthian Provincial Government (Dep. no. 8 ‘Environment, energy and nature conservation’ and Dep. no. 12 ‘Water Management’) as well as the Water Directorate and the Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia.

We analysed the most relevant issues on the state, loads, uses and risks to sustain sufficient quantity and quality of waters in geopark through several workshops. We elaborated geological basis for municipalities Ravne na Koroškem and Eisenkappel, so that the land use in future can become better adapted to natural settings. In the long term, this will reduce the risk of natural hazards (floods, storms, landslides…) and support faster measures to protect water resources in case of accidents (pollution, droughts). Much effort was focused on the development potential of mineral waters, such as Rimski vrelec in Kotlje and several mineral water springs in Eisenkappel.

Hydrogeological map of Ravne na Koroškem will be a base for protection and planned use of drinking and mineral waters as well as flood management, in areas where groundwater-surface water interaction is crucial. Mass movement susceptibility map (landslides, rock falls, debris flows) (sliding, rock falls, debris flows) will help to implement the detailed municipal spatial plan and similar documents. The erosion susceptibility map will serve to perform measures to reduce or prevent erosion, which is directly connected to occurrence and prevention of floods. We also equiped one measurement site at Mt. Peca for evaluation of the quantity of groundwater within this transboundary karstic aquifer.

All information prepared in the project is available on the interactive Slovenian-German-English web viewer Karawanken UNESCO Global Geopark Web Viewer. It represents a single-entry point for access to the official spatial layers of Slovenia and Austria, which contribute to a better understanding of the area, natural conditions and risks, water resources and tourist potential of the Geopark. Visitors who choose »Experience Geopark« can find ideas for trips to geological and water phenomena, including mineral springs. While more experienced users who choose »Water management« actively search the cross-border spatial information. The viewer also shows live measurements of the quantity and temperature of underground water in the Mežica and Topla mines in the cross-border karst aquifer Peca. The characteristics of water cycle in this interesting cross-border aquifer can be seen in the new GEO.DOM visitor center at Mt. Peca.

The total value of the project was €349,284.16. The project was co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund in the amount of €296,891.52, within the framework of the programme-specific objective “Innovation in sustainable management and use of water resources.”

Reports  

• Water Strategy of the Karavanke Geopark
• Hydrogeological Report on the Mineral Water Source Rimski Vrelec (Kotuljska Slatina)
• Integrated Forest Management and Ecosystem Services
• Hydrogeological Map with Explanations for the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem
• Karst Water Monitoring Station Peca
• Workshop Material with Municipalities on Water Resources and Risks, 16 December 2021  
• Hazard Warning Map for Erosion Risk for the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem
• Hazard Warning Map for Slope Mass Movement Risk for the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem
• Hazard Warning Map for Slope Mass Movements and Erosion for the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem – Summary
• Report on the Conceptual Model of the Online Viewer
• Report on the Status of Water Resources and Risks – Austria
• Report on the Status of Water Resources and Risks – Slovenia
• Report on the Status of Water Resources and Risks – Joint Bilingual Summary
• Report on the Status of Water Resources and Risks – joint summary
• Summary of the achievements of the KaraWAT Project with Strategy 20220825