The area of Eastern Herzegovina is one of the most karstified regions in the world. Deep karst, sinking rivers, underground flows, temporary flooded karst poljes and lack of arable land is main natural property of the region. Due to two kinds of misfortune, flood and drought, people have emigrated from this region searching for a better life. The book contains new scientific data and engineering experience collected during more than 100 years of investigations and construction. To provide optimum water management and economic development, thousands of new data are collected and presented in the book. Necessity for balance between regional development and preservation of nature was one of the important request.

Autorentext

PETAR T. MILANOVIC was born in Belgrade in 1938, where he graduated and received his doctorate from the Geological Department of the Faculty of Mining and Geology, University of Belgrade. He has devoted himself to engineering karstology since the first days of encountering the challenges ofthe karst phenomenon. For more than 50 years he has worked as an expert in engineering karstology in the Multipurpose HydrosystemTrebiSnjica Co. and the Institute for the Utility and Protection of Karst Water in Trebinje (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and later in Energoprojekt Co., Belgrade, Serbia. At the same time, as a university professor, he teaches the course "Applied Hydrogeology of Karst" at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Mostar. After retired he continuesprofessional activities as free lancer and invited lecturer.As visiting professor, he visited Colorado State University (1976/77), presented a lecture at the USGeological Survey, Reston, School of Mines, Rapid City and Alabama State University, Tuscaloosa.As a designer, consultant or auditor, he participated in the realization of a large number of capital projects in the karst of Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. He has published more than a hundred scientific and professional papers on the topic of engineering issues in karst. He was a lecturer inpostgraduate studies and, by invitation, at a large number of international scientific and professional gatherings and universities. He is a member of the Governing Board of the International Karst Institute in China, the most important institution of its kind in the world, which was formed under the auspices of UNESCO. He has published several books on engineering karstology, four of which were published by well-known American publishers (Karst Hydrogeology, WRP, 1981; Water Resources Engineering in Karst, CRC Press, 2004; Engineering Karstology of Dams and Reservoirs, CRC Press, 2018; and Dams and Reservoirs in Evaporites, with two coauthors, 2019, Springer). For his contribution to the development of engineering karstology, he has received several national and international awards, including the Award of Honorary Member of the Yugoslav Committee for Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology (1987); Award of Hacettepe University, Ankara (2000); Award for the Development of Karst Science, Beijing (2001); Lifetime Honorary Membership Award of the Association of Speleologists USA (2011) and Presidential Award of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (2017). For his contribution to the establishment of the University of Mostar and the improvement of scientific teaching and research work, he was awarded a plaque and a diploma (1987). He is president of the Serbian National Committee for Hydrogeology, which is part of the International Association of Hydrogeologists. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the International Karst Commission, he received a special award as the only representative of Europe (2000).