The importance of water for humans and society

Abstract

Voda je od temeljnog značaja za život i zdravlje čovjeka. Pravo na vodu je prijeko potrebno za vođenje zdravog i dostojanstvenog života. Ono je preduvjet za realiziranje svih drugih ljudskih prava. Zbog povećanja broja ljudi na Zemlji i kao posljedica porasta životnog standarda, promjena životnih navika i pojačane poljoprivredne proizvodnje, potrošnja vode u svijetu neprestano raste. Voda nije samo izvor života - ona je izvor profita, a samim time i oružanih sukoba. Cilj ovoga rada je ukazati na važnost vode, veliku potrebu za njome te kako je zaštititi da bi se osigurale njene dovoljne količine i rezerve u budućnosti. U radu su prikazani globalni vodni resursi te oni u Republici Hrvatskoj, kao i njihova zaštita. Postoje brojna sušna područja u svijetu gdje je stanovništvo svakodnevno u potrazi za pitkom vodom. Hrvatska pripada skupini zemalja svijeta koje imaju iznadprosječne zalihe pitke vode i gdje problemi s vodom nisu ograničavajući faktor razvitka.Water is of fundamental importance to life and health. The right to water is essential to maintaining a healthy and dignified life. It is a prerequisite for the realization of all other human rights. Due to the increasing number of people on Earth and the increased water needs, as a result of rising living standards, changes in living habits and agricultural production, world water consumption is steadily increasing. What is hard to say today is that water is not only a source of life but also a source of profits and, therefore, armed conflicts. The aim of the paper is to show how much water is important, how much is needed, what the possibilities of its protection are to ensure sufficient quantities and reserves in the future. This paper presents global water resources in the world, water resources in the Republic of Croatia as well as water resources protection. There are numerous dry areas in the world where the population is still searching for drinking water every day. Croatia, however, belongs to a group of countries that have above average drinking water supply, and where water problems are not a limiting factor of development