The Green Climate Fund /GCF/ has approved 14.4 million dollars for a new project to strengthen resilience to floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina caused by climate change.
BiH Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Staša Košarac welcomed GCF’s investment in this project, stating that it is a key step in solving the challenges posed by flood risks in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where special focus will be on the basins of the rivers Vrbas, Una , Sana, Drina and Bosna.
The total value of the project is 72 million dollars, it is co-financed by the relevant institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it will be implemented in cooperation with the UN Development Program.
Košarac emphasized that this project will not only increase resilience to climate change, but also contribute to the well-being and prosperity of the most vulnerable communities, including women, children and the elderly.
Effective flood management in BiH is hampered by outdated flood protection, lack of resources and expertise, poor monitoring network and inadequate preparedness in local communities.
The goal of this initiative is to improve the system of forecasting and early warning against floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as to strengthen flood risk management, UNDP announced.
UNDP reminds that climate changes in recent decades have led to an increase in average annual temperatures and significant changes in the distribution of precipitation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Devastating floods have become more frequent, causing damage to people, property and infrastructure, especially in sectors such as agriculture and water management. In May 2014, more than one million people were affected by devastating floods caused by heavy rainfall across the country. It is estimated that these floods caused damage and losses of almost 15 percent of GDP, while around 90,000 people were displaced,” the statement said.
This six-year project will help address gaps and establish an integrated and gender-responsive approach to climate-resilient flood risk management, including structural and non-structural measures, as well as ecosystem-based approaches such as afforestation.
Acting Resident Representative of UNDP in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Silvain Merlen, said that the goal of the project is to protect lives, livelihoods and critical infrastructure, and to provide support to the country on its way to a future that is more resistant to climate change.
He pointed out that this project is all the more urgent considering that the catastrophic impacts of climate change are intensifying.
According to him, this intervention is part of the wider Green Transition portfolio advocated by UNDP, and represents a multi-sectoral package of strategic action with the aim of combining the efforts of all actors to increase and accelerate the green and fair transition in BiH.
The project is expected to begin implementation in 2024.
