Defending against floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina
May 17, 2019
Project goal: Flood protection and adaptation to climate change-related extreme weather in the Vrbas River Basin
Project details: Development of an early-warning system and emergency response plans, reduction of flood risk through construction, as well as management and disaster response training
Partner: Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ministry of Spatial Planning, Construction, and Ecology of Republika Srpska, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Water-Management and Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Republika Srpska, Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism
Project duration: March 2015 - March 2020, with continuation under consideration
Catastrophic floods in 2014 forced 90,000 people to relocate, killed more than 20 and left Bosnia and Herzegovina traumatized. The scale of the damage was so extreme the small country's economy shrank by 15%. And climate change is only expected to bring more extreme weather, and more devastating high waters. Now, for the first time, Bosnia and Herzegovina is to have a flood management system to avoid a repeat of the devastation five years ago. The project could provide a model for other vulnerable areas in the region.
A film by Marion Hütter