Water Crime in the Republic of Slovenia

Abstract

Water is a source of life. Due to its limited quantities, growing world population and its unique role for humanity, demands for water are increasing. In addition to sufficient amounts of water, its quality is also essential. The quantity and quality of water vary from country to country; the accessibility depends on the area and from the privatisation of water resources. Due to the geographical position, Slovenia has a wealth of natural resources. It is one of the smallest countries in Europe, but concerning water resources, it is one of the richest. Unfortunately, they are not spatially uniformly distributed. The regulation in the Republic of Slovenia is quite extensive. Water resource management in Slovenia is introduced by the Water Framework Directive, and as the first country adopted a human right to drinking water into a constitution. The water crimes phenomenon was analysed by the descriptive method, literature review, statistical data analysis and information received from the police. The study of statistics, reports, and documentation have shown that water crimes in Slovenia are not very frequently dealt by the formal social control agencies and the offences of water pollution prevail by 85%.