BiH gets EUR 37 million loan for flood protection projects

Bosnia and Herzegovina obtained a EUR 37 million loan for flood protection projects in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity and the Brčko District. The World Bank estimated that about 300,000 people in BiH will be safer from floods from the support it approved.

The loan will help geographically expand the first phase of the Sava and Drina Rivers Corridors Integrated Development Program in BiH to include the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity and Brčko District, the World Bank said. Financing for the Republic of Srpska, the other entity in BiH, was approved in August 2020.

On that occasion, the Republic of Srpska got EUR 30 million. At the same time, the international financing institution approved EUR 15 million for Montenegro and EUR 78.2 million for Serbia, the third country covered by the program.

For years, BiH has been at risk of water hazards and natural disasters

The scheme combines funding for flood protection, environmental management, and port modernization activities to enhance connectivity along the Sava and Drina Rivers Corridors.

According to the World Bank, BiH has been at risk of water hazards and natural disasters for years and seasonal flooding and periods of drought affected agriculture and human health.

The World Bank’s financing package is intended to help infrastructure investments

The projected climate change impacts make the country increasingly vulnerable to more intense rainfalls and floods directly affecting the Drina and the Sava. The latter is the largest tributary of the Danube, the second-longest river in Europe, the World Bank explained.

The additional EUR 37 million in financing will help deliver infrastructure investments, such as dikes, dams, and water reservoirs, which support flood protection and improve environmental management in the country, according to the lender.

Projects for six rivers

The EUR 37 million loan has three components. The part for integrated management and development of the Sava River corridor amounts to EUR 33.8 million. It envisages 11 projects related to the Bosna, Željeznica, and Jala rivers and the preparation of future phase 2 of the program in the Federation of BiH, and five projects for the Blizna and Brka rivers and an integrated waste management system in the Brčko District.

Works in Goražde and regulating the Kosovska river are projects under the Integrated Management and Development of the Drina River Corridor component. It is worth EUR 1.8 million.

Project management is the third component, with a value of EUR 1.8 million.

Christopher Sheldon, World Bank Country Manager for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, said the project is a perfect example of enhancing BiH’s climate resilience in times when environmental threats are stronger than ever.

“The project’s focus on enhancing regional cooperation, both in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the Western Balkans, aligns perfectly with our vision of a greener and more prosperous future for the region,” he added.