As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marta Duic writes on the 30th of May, 2019, for the very first time since the founding of the EWA (European Water Association) back in the 1980's, a Croatian representative, Mara Pavelić, has been appointed as a member of the association's steering board.

Pavelić has been a representative of the Republic of Croatia at the EWA since 2015 when she was appointed as President of the Croatian Water Protection Society, and next year, she will represent the countries of South East Europe in order to achieve a better standard of living for the inhabitants of those countries, in regard to economic development, as well as to environmental and water protection.

"Croatia, as one of the richest countries in the world in terms of its water, has a historic opportunity and can, thanks to EU funds, preserve this wealth of water for all generations of the future. Nevertheless, without the reform of the water-communal sector, it will not be possible to realise all the investments and the goals,'' stated Mara Pavelić following her appointment. The problems of the countries of SE Europe are more diverse than those endured by developed countries, especially when it comes to water management.

"My role in the EWA is to help the countries I represent to reach the standards that advanced countries already have, and this is an opportunity to point out the current inequalities of development, but also the specificities of each country. Rich in biodiversity, wetland habitats, natural floodplains and preserved water resources, are examples of how the water industry can find ways to create more favourable living conditions for people with both nature and humanity. These are examples that we can see in Croatia and in the surrounding countries, but unfortunately in the developed EU countries, such things are almost gone,'' the new Croatian representative noted.

Otherwise, EWA brings together 24 leading European trade organisations and companies with over 50,000 water management and environmental professionals, and Pavelić is the only woman on the board of directors.

She is also the head of the Water Protection Sector in Croatian Waters (Hrvatske vode) and is in the Croatian Employers' Association's (HUP) business women's base.

"This nomination is like getting an Oscar, it's the crown of my long-term work and I've got no intentions of stopping there. Every two years there are such appointments by the board of directors and there are chances in the future for this, too," Pavelić concluded.

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Click here for the original article by Marta Duic for Poslovni Dnevnik