Ever since Croatia joined the European Union (EU) back in July 2013, the country has seen European Union funds made readily available to it across various different categories, and Croatia has taken part in many EU initiatives and praiseworthy projects. As Morski writes on the 25th of August, 2019, this, the latest in a long line of EU projects joined in by Croatia, is the Blue Islands project, and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (Primorsko-Goranska) in western Croatia is participating.

The Blue Islands project, which is a project of the European Union and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the INTERREG V-B MEDITERRANEAN Transnational Cooperation Program 2014-2020, has been put in place to attempt to identify and mitigate some, if not all of the effects of seasonal increases in the amount of waste generated in the Mediterranean islands as a result of tourism.

This is a topic that has attracted a lot of attention, particularly over the last several years, as the general awareness among the public about the damage the use of certain materials causes to the planet has begun to come to the forefront of people's minds. Croatia's population shoots up incredibly during the warm summer months, as does the amount of waste left behind.

More specifically, during the summer, the population on the Mediterranean islands increases significantly, which, while being very beneficial for the local economy and local residents, is at the same time an enormous burden the local infrastructure of Croatia's islands.

The aim of the Blue Islands project is to promote sustainable tourism and raise awareness among locals and tourists about the need to keep the beaches clean, in Croatia and beyond, with the entire Mediterranean region in mind.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more. If you're interested in the initiatives focused on caring for the environment which exist in Croatia, give Total Eco Croatia a follow.