Вишенаменски канал Дунав–Сава
The Republic of Croatia is planning to build a canal to 2016 to connect the Danube (near Vukovar) and the Sava (near the village Sikirevci, near Slavonski Šamac). The canal will be 61.4 kilometers long. The idea of building a canal was 278 years old. The oldest documentation of the construction of the Danube–Sava originates from 1737. The multipurpose canal Danube–Sava should have three functions: to irrigate 35750 hectares of agricultural land, to carry out the surface drainage of around 173000 hectares and underground drainage of around 62 000 hectares, to serve for boating and tourism. The canal should shorten the path to Western Europe for 417 km (sailing time would be shorter for 48 hours), and a road to the east would be shortened by 85 km. It is assumed that the construction of the canal will contribute to the development of the river transport in the Republic of Croatia. There are many factors that are now threatening the Sava River as a natural resource: the work of industrial plants and oil industry, hydropower (in Slovenia), the discharge of wastewater, mining of river sediments, intensive farming and construction, the construction of the Sava–Danube canal and the restoration of the nautical road along the Sava. The World Conservation Union has launched a three-year project biodiversity Protection of the navigable area of the sava river basin. In December 2002, four countries signed an international framework agreement for the establishment of an international regime of navigation and sustainable water management of the river basin, and the measures to be taken against floods, ice hazards, droughts and pollution. The main challenge for the management of the Sava River is to enable economic development to sustainable use and protection of the natural resources in the basin. This project is expected to help to identify, define and manage the environmental and landscape diversity along the Sava River, in line with the EU directives on birds and habitats with the implementation and integration of the environmental values. It is assumed that the trenching of the canal will change the groundwater regime on the territory of Croatia. Possible change in the groundwater regime in Serbia could have disastrous consequences. On the territory of the Republic of Serbia, according to the Institute for Nature Conservation, there are nine natural areas, and four of them are along the river Sava: the Special Nature Reserves Zasavica, Obedska Bara, Morovićko-Bosutske forests and the landscape of outstanding features Veliko Ratno Ostrvo (Great War Island).
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