Small Giants Water initiative presented at a press conference on World Water Day

While alarming projections are being made around the world about a sudden decrease in the amount of drinking water (by 2040, this amount could be halved!), the Šibenik region has water in abundance.

The Šibenik-Knin County is rich in water resources, which have been the subject of numerous studies of its quality, energetic water power, and haracteristics of the karst relief. Today, it is the water, in combination with the sea, that makes this county an incredibly attractive destination for visitors who value preserved nature, authentic ambience and local character.

Starting this year, Šibenik-Knin County is taking big steps to combine sustainable tourism with an involved local community to jointly promote the protection of natural resources.

With an initiative that promotes the use of reusable water bottles, the offer of drinking water to its guests by local restaurateurs, and publicly available drinking water, the Šibenik-Knin County Tourist Board is leading a movement to change habits that are necessary in order to preserve natural resources, reduce waste and promote the value of the region, which is the home of the Small Giants.

Wht the Small Giants Water?

During the 80s of the last century, an unusual phenomenon was noted in the Šibenik area: almost every fourth child born in the Šibenik hospital was macrosomic (weighing more than 4 kg at birth).
These data rank them among the largest babies not only in the country, in Europe, but even the second largest in the world, right behind the descendants of the Cherokee Indian tribe.

Precisely because of these interesting data, research on macrosomic children began in the 90s in the Šibenik hospital. On the initiative of professor Frano Mikulandra, the former Minister of Science Flego authorized a foundation of a scientific research unit and a scientific library, The team of pediatricians led by professor Mikulandra, including assistant professor Eugen Stoini and doctor Mila Periša, joined forces to start researching the baby phenomenon.

Unfortunately, with the death of Professor Mikulandra, the scientific research unit was disbanded, and the research results fell into oblivion. Until today, when their work comes to light again, forming the backbone of the new project of the Šibenik-Knin County Tourist Board.

A story torn from an unjust oblivion

The conclusions of the research showed that in addition to other factors such as favorable socioeconomic status and genetic heritage, environmental influences such as sunshine hours, healthy nutrition and water quality play an important role in the results of the research.

Is the water of Dinaric karst magical?

The water that we drink in Dalmatia and that flows through our region is water that comes from ​​the mountain fields behind the Dinara mountain on the Bosnian-Herzegovinian side of the border. The water that is absorbed by those fields is filtered through the Dinara mountain and as such, enriched with its magical essence that feeds us and our crops.

That is why, from prehistory to the present day, we have a systematic and civilized population of this area. Our karst is intersected by numerous watercourses, which were the reason for the creation of the first Croatian state and the beginning of our national existence.

The water that has been purified through karst, and enriched with all its valuable substances, is certainly one of the best quality in the world.

Stout and tall hosts throughout history until today

Throughout recent and distant history, it has been evident that this region is home of stout and rugged hosts. English travel writers of the 19th century expressed their admiration for the height and ruggedness of the local population.
The collection of travelogues "Where the East meets the West" by Marinko Šiško from Skradin is a compilation of such records.

Dalmatian high school students - the tallest in the world

These interesting data is also fulfilled with a recent study conducted on the Adriatic coast which showed that we really live on the Coast of Giants: Dalmatian (and Herzegovinan, and Montenegrin) 18-year-olds are currently the tallest in the world!

This fact is supported by research conducted in 2016 by the Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic, the Gymnasium in Metković, the Faculty of Sports in Nikšić, Montenegro, and the School of Economics in Bar, Montenegro, and which was published in 2019 in PeerJ, a respected scientific journal that publishes scientific works in biology, anthropology and medicine.

"When all the results are counted and compared, the average height of young men is 182.6 cm in all eight (coastal) counties, while in four Dalmatian counties the average is 183.7 cm, which is why the scientists drew the conclusion that in Dalmatia currently live the tallest young men in the world."

The genetic potential

The research also states that our genetic potential is still not maximized, unlike other tall nations, which leaves the possibility that we might happen to become the tallest nation in the world. Therefore, the name of the research itself is very significant: "Coast of giants: an anthropometric survey of high school students on the Adriatic coast".

Considering all the above, the area of ​​Šibenik-Knin County hides a specific, but also an ideal combination of living conditions that favor such a positive trend, which is based on one of the most impr

Greatness is achieved through growth, and we grow from a full, exuberant life, which found the formula for manifesting its maximum right here, in the Dalmatian karst.

This is where the life simply flourishes.

Sustainability applied on site

After fighting that this story comes out of unjust oblivion and giving it an impressive name that suggests growth - the Small Giants Water, Krešimir Šakić in front of the Šibenik-Knin County Tourist Board, and Tina Vickov and Natalia Krešić, sustainability enthusiasts and local values' promotors, are organizing the next step.

They connect local restaurateurs to form a network of refill stations - water filling stations. With this, they made it possible for this special story to come on the light of day.

Through the network of restaurateurs who joined the initiative and became the official Small Giants Water Guardians, guests will be offered drinking water at the table and their reusable bottles will be refilled at the bar to guests as well passerbyes. 

The leader of sustainability in the field

This initiative is also an example of how to approach the issues of our common current environmental problems in a simple and interesting way, which require decisive steps to raise awareness and preserve resources for the upcoming generations of Small Giants.

Šibenik-Knin County is a destination that systematically works to improve the quality and diversity of its tourist offer to become a leader in the application of the principles of sustainable tourism. This project will enhance this potential to completely new level which we are excited to see develop in the future.

Let's raise a glass of Small Giants Water and make a toast!

PRESS CONFERENCE GALLERY




















The photographer: Miranda Trklja