Fact-sheet 8 - Bosnia-Herzegovina - 2550-03/2009
1.3
Conflicts about the use of resources
See list of documents
1.4
Status and trends in the standard of living
See list of documents
1.5
Access to energy and resources
See list of documents
The war transformed Bosnia‐Herzegovina from a medium‐income country within the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia into a poor country, and caused
the loss of 100.000 – 250.000 lives and displaced nearly half the countryʹs pre‐war population of 4.4 million. War damages are estimated at more than US$100
billion. The collapse of the former socialist system and the war that followed led to physical and socio‐economic devastation and loss of employment. Rural
people fled to urban areas for security and survival. During the war, farmers lost 50 to 60% of their assets and 90% of their livestock. When the war ended
many returned to the countryside and to subsistence farming to escape poverty. However, the lack of employment opportunities in rural areas is hindering
economic revival and could lead to another exodus to urban areas.
Poverty in BiH is characteristically a rural phenomenon. Despite the overall decreasing trend of the national poverty level, the country has witnessed an
uneven progress between urban and rural development. This discrepancy results from the slow growth in the agricultural and non‐farm rural sectors against
the rapid growth in the higher‐wage sectors in urban areas. Many of the poor households have a high dependency ratio and lower levels of education
attainment and limited access to a regular source of cash income from formal employment, pension or remittances. During the past recent years, poverty in
BiH dropped from 17.7% to 14% in 2007, with poverty at 17.8% in rural areas, and 8.2% in urban areas. However, these achievements remain highly
vulnerable to external shocks. Material deprivation and 20‐30% are at risk of falling into material deprivation.
Poverty in Bosnia has a gender dimension: women have been particularly affected by the breakdown of social cohesion and the downward spiral into
poverty. Since the war, the number of households headed by women has increased to one in four. These households are at greater risk of poverty. Women
tend to lack access to land, skills training, finances and equipment. Women make up only 35% of employed Bosnians, and women who are employed face
discrimination and receive lower wages.
Control over natural resources has not been a major driver of violence in Bosnia. May be this has to do with the fact that the country is not well endowed with
natural wealth. Political competition and the fact that the country is divided and run along ethnic lines could bring to light any competition over control of
natural resources. For instance, timber is one of the few sources of natural wealth in BiH, primarily in parts of the RS. A USAID report pointed out that apart
from the adverse environmental consequences of such activity, proceeds from the sale of such lumber reportedly go to criminal networks and/or the
nationalist political parties rather than to the government, where at least in theory it could be used to support key institutions to help strengthen the rule of
law or to ameliorate conditions that make conflict more likely.
In a different yet somehow related dimension, landmines are reported to be present all over BiH forests. As a direct consequence of the war and conflict
landmines are considered a potential threat to forests, causing certain areas to become unavailable for treatment and recovery efforts.
The energy sector is one of the key sectors of BiH economy. Main domestic sources of energy are coal and hydro‐potential, while natural gas and oil are
imported. In the period between 1995 and 2008, BiH registered an increase in energy consumption, at an annual rate of 3.14%.
Soil degradation is increasing, and land use changes and loss of agricultural land are caused by sudden urbanization, industrialization and changes to
commercial development. Opencast mining or opencast exploitation of mineral ores has resulted in approximately 15.000 ha of damaged land in BiH, while
disposals of fly ash and slag occupy an area of approximately 250 ha. Waste is dumped on large areas of fertile agricultural land, thus precluding the
possibility of agricultural production.
Since there is no specific legislation directly regulating this area, BiH does not have systematic soil quality monitoring. One of the most important issues is the
attitude of society towards land, i.e., low awareness of the significance of soil resulting in an insufficient number of quality policies for soil protection.
BiH has commitments in the field of energy (namely electricity, gas, environment, renewables, energy efficiency) through the Energy Community Treaty.
Currently the EU is providing assistance to develop energy efficiency legislation, and continues to offer support, when there is political willingness, to
approximate existing legislation to EU best practice and to develop a state‐level energy strategy and gas law.
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Fact-sheet 8 - Bosnia-Herzegovina - 2550-03/2009
1.6
Awareness and action (political and civil society) to mitigate
climate change and to adapt to it
See list of documents
1.7
Functionality and strength of governmental organisation and
NGOs
See list of documents
Besides the legislation, enforcement regulations, rules and procedures, and international documents, a large number of strategic documents have been
adopted during the period 2000–2012 such as Solid Waste Management Strategy (2002); the BiH National Environmental Action Plan – NEAP BiH (2003); the
First National Report on the Implementation of UN Convention to Combat Desertification/ Land Degradation in BiH (2007); the Initial National
Communication to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (2009); the Biological Diversity Strategy with Action Plan (2010); the NCSA Report
(National Capacity Self‐Assessment, 2012); the Study on Energy Sector in BiH (2008; ʺBiH in the Process Rio + 20ʺ ‐ BiH report for the UN Convention on
Sustainable Development (UNSDC) and the Second National Communication to the UNFCCC (2012).
Aside from governmental institutions, an important role in environmental protection is played by national and entity agencies and institutes, scientific‐
research institutions, occupational and/or professional associations, civic associations or non‐governmental organizations. In the last decade, an upward
trend in institution and organization numbers is evident, both governmental and non‐governmental, as a consequence of increased public awareness about
the significance of environmental conservation.
A mechanism for comprehensive alignment with EU legislation across the country is lacking, as is countrywide strategic planning. Monitoring and reporting
on the state of the environment at country level is not yet carried out in a coherent and consistent manner. Indeed, the non‐existence of a coordination
mechanism with clear authorizations and distinct delineation of responsibilities and obligations between state, entities, cantons and municipalities, non‐
existence of unified data collection and processing methodology and domestic standards in accordance with EU norms, a lack of subordinate legislation and
funds for certain significant measures to implement environmental policy are singled out as barriers to the implementation of environmental reform.
The 2014 EU Progress Report for BiH reported that there were no significant developments concerning horizontal legislation in the field of environment.
Capacity to manage industrial and hazardous waste remains to be strengthened. Implementation of water laws, monitoring and river‐basin management
plans including water‐related EU Directives is still problematic.
An initial list of 95 potential NATURA 2000 ecological areas that account for approximately 20 % of its territory has been completed.
As in other countries of the region, REC is actively engaged in BiH. It participates in assessing the current environmental needs of the country and offers
professional support and assistance to environmental protection activities. It focuses on local initiatives and local development planning; environmental
education; NGO support and capacity building through education and training; environmental awareness‐raising campaigns; the Aarhus Convention and
public participation; water management; biodiversity and nature conservation; capacity building and institutional strengthening.
Climate change is reflected in rising average annual temperatures on one hand and concurrent precipitation decrease on the other. Climate data for BiH are
presented in the “Initial National Communication for Climate Change for BiH” that indicates changes observed around the Mediterranean Sea and the
Balkans. The model used in this report indicates that BiH will continue to be affected by global warming with an average increase of 0.7 to 1.6 per degrees
Celsius of global increase, and that the region will suffer from reduced precipitation especially in the summer period, thus leading to increasing droughts.
Due to overall low productivity and energy consumption as well as to low per capita energy production and consumption, BiH remains a small GHG emitter
with a total of 24.14 Mt CO2 eq in 2005. Despite this, the country needs to find a way to decrease emissions and to adapt to current climate change and its
consequences in key sectors: agriculture, forestry, industry, transport and energetics.
The country has adopted a strategy for adaptation to climate change and a low emissions development strategy. The next challenge is to streamline this
strategy into sectoral policies and strategies. Bosnia and Herzegovina regularly associated itself with EU positions in the international context. A second
National Communication was submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the biennial update report on greenhouse
gases is under preparation. The country has not yet put forward a mitigation commitment by 2020 in the context of the Copenhagen Accord and the low‐
emission development strategy adopted does not include any mitigation commitment. EU maintains that BiH needs to develop a comprehensive countrywide
climate policy and strategy in line with the expected EU 2030 policy framework on climate and energy.
While BiH participates regularly in the Environment and Climate Regional Accession Network (ECRAN) project, the country is at a very early stage in
aligning with the EU climate acquis. At State level, the adoption and implementation of management plans to phase out ozone‐depleting substances is
advancing. The country’s capacities for monitoring, reporting and verification in this area remain weak and should be considerably strengthened. Significant
efforts are still needed to raise awareness at all levels of society, and to promote cooperation between all relevant stakeholders
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