Bosnia and Herzegovina

In 1992, bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence when the former Federation of Yugoslavia broke up into smaller nations. The move was followed by an extended period of ethnic conflicts among the new countries. Peace efforts in 1994 led to the creation of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. With a total land area of 51,129 square kilometers, Bosnia and Herzegovina supports a population of 4,025,476 people.

Most areas experience hot summers and cold winters; but in higher elevations, the summers are short and cool while the winters are severe. Rain is frequent along the 20 kilometers of Adriatic coastline. The most common environmental problems include air pollution from the numerous metallurgical plants, a shortage of urban waste disposal sites, deforestation through illegal logging, water shortages, and destruction of the infrastructure. Destructive earthquakes are not uncommon. Protracted war and conflict has also left hazards behind, including an estimated 1,000,000 land mines that dot the landscape.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is rich in natural resources that include coal, iron ore, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, cobalt, manganese, nickel, clay, gypsum, salt, sand, and hydropower. With over 40 percent of the land area of Bosnia and Herzegovina forested, the nation has the third-largest forest reserve in Europe. However, large areas of forests are steadily being lost to illegal logging and other forms of uncontrolled exploitation. Such disturbances to the environment have led to massive landslides that have changed the course of the Bosna River and to soil erosion and fire destruction. Little is being done to counteract this destruction because of a weak infrastructure, even though the forests of Bosnia and Herzegovina are home to the majority of the 72 species of mammals that are endemic to the area. As a result, 10 species are threatened with extinction. Likewise, three species of the 206 bird species endemic to the area are threatened.

Despite potential for growth, Bosnia and Herzegovina is the second poorest nation among the former Yugoslav countries, outranked only by Macedonia. Agricultural output contributes 14.2 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, but farms tend to [Page 157]be small and inefficient. Therefore, most food is imported. With a 45.5 percent unemployment rate and a poverty rate of 25 percent, environmentalism often takes a back seat to economic concerns. At present, around 44.4 percent of the population is urbanized, but that percentage is expected to rise over the next decade. Two percent of the population lacks access to safe drinking water, and seven percent lack access to improved sanitation. The United Nations Development Project (UNDP) Human Development Reports rank Bosnia and Herzegovina 68th in quality-of-life indicators.

Because of its recent history of strife, Bosnia and Herzegovina is still establishing institutions, and the country is only slowly finding its path to a consciousness of environmentalism. This is reflected in the lack of a legal framework to regulate the use and protection of natural resources. Additionally, the government lacks funding for programs that promote environmental responsibility and for oversight. Bosnia and Herzegovina has no water treatment plants, and waste treatment plants are inefficient.

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