Case Studies from the Dinaric Karst of Slovenia

Use of Karst and its ProtectionThe Nature Conservation Act in Sloveniaprovided a basis for the overall conservationof biodiversity and protection of valuablenatural features (included karst surface andunderground) as part of Slovenia’s naturalheritage. Nature conservation legislationand the Cave Conservation Act (from 2000)regulate the protection and conservationof caves. This Act governs the protectionand use of underground caves, protectionarrangements, protective measures and otherrules of conduct, including the restoration ofpolluted or damaged caves.The conservation of caves is often difficultto implement because important segments oflife on karst take place above them. Becauselarge caves along underground rivers areimportant economically as tourist caves, as asource of water supplies, and for science, itis necessary to protect them or exploit themwithout devaluating them in the process.Unnecessary activities that often take placeabove the caves could easily be avoidedthrough more reasonable planning. Forinstance the entire Kačna jama cave lies belowthe town of Divača. While it is impossible tomove settlements, the sewage treatmentplant and its discharge could easily be installedfarther away from the cave. It is also notnecessary to build an industrial zone directlyabove the cave passage that connects theKačna jama cave and Škocjan Caves, a worldclassphenomenon. The industrial zone couldbe built one kilometer further north and notthreaten the underground world. This is notjust about the conservation of the two cavesbut about the tourist exploitation of the cavesas well; the situation will be much worseif the surface above the caves is built up.Along the underground Reka River is anotherproblem with the Sežana sewage treatmentplant in Kanjeduce, which is located abovethe underground passages of the cave and itsdischarges are far from achieving the requiredstandards. The entrances to Postojna Cave,Planina Cave, and the caves in Rakov ŠkocjanPark face similar problems. Thoughtlessencroachments are destroying importantassets and society will benefit from themmuch less in the future.There is a problem with tourist visits tocaves. For example two hundred years oftourism have left a number of negative tracesin Postojna Cave. Some have damaged thenatural condition of the cave, while othersthreaten the tourist exploitation of the caveand have reduced the value of the cave. Whilethese changes are negative, they could beminimized if we are aware of them. Stalactiteshave been removed, the floor of the cave hasbeen changed excessively, and large amountsof dust have accumulated in the entranceparts of the cave. Other activities in the vicinityof the cave may present an even greater threatto the cave than tourist exploitation: the poorcondition of the sinking Pivka River due to theinefficient treatment plant, the construction ofindustrial buildings in the immediate vicinity,for example, on the site of former militarybarracks near Veliki Otok, abandoned militaryfacilities above the cave, and a car dump sitebeside the old road toward Planina. Suchactivities should be moved farther from thecave since they present a serious threat andare certainly not examples of good practice.66