Environment of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Forest Landscape Integrity Index map of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The forests of Bosnia and Herzegovina are varied in type: from coastal Mediterranean to mountain forests in the center of the country. Coniferous forests are found in the highlands, mixed forests in the mid altitudes and broadleaved forests in the low-level terrains and floodplains. They play an important role biodiversity and habitat protection as well as for producing forest goods. The diversity in forest types is mirrored in the existence of 9 out of 13 of the European Environmental Agency categories. Those include:

• Category 4 - Acidophilous oak forests
• Category 5 - Mesophytic deciduous forest
• Category 6 - Beech forest
• Category 7 - Mountainous beech forest
• Category 8 - Thermophilous deciduous forest
• Category 9 - Broadleaved evergreen forest
• Category 10 - Coniferous forests of the Mediterranean, Anatolian and Macaronesian regions
• Category 11 - Mire and swamp forest
• Category 12 - Floodplain forest

Human-induced damages as a consequence of poor management, over-exploitation, illegal logging and air pollution, as well as forest fires are the biggest dangers to these forests. There are high discrepancies between harvested and marketed volumes of timber, likely due to private usage and a lack of an organized system for tracking and reporting volumes of timber. The forests are considered under used considering the annual allowable cut. The land use inefficiency is caused by the 1990s war: populations were displaced and abandoned their settlements in the mountains, and large areas of the lands are still contaminated by land-mines, which may take at least 30 years to clean up.[4]

Snowy Jahorina in November

Bosnia and Herzegovina had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 5.99/10, ranking it 89th globally out of 172 countries.[5]

Among all countries in Europe, Bosnia and Herzegovina has the tenth most mountain area shares, after countries like Switzerland, Armenia and Georgia.[6]Trebevic (1629m, 5344 ft) is the mountain right above the capital city of Sarajevo. During the summer, it is significantly cooler than the city, while in the winter, it is cold and snowy. It is a popular destination for skiing. It houses multiple fresh-water springs which supply the city with water. Other springs flow into the river Miljacka which flows through the entire city of Sarajevo. The southern side of the mountain is exposed to strong winds from neighboring mountains Treskavica and Bjelasnica. Vegetative life is mostly present in lower areas of the mountains, which are more humid and fertile than the top. The mountain is covered with both wild and privately grown forests.[7]

Jahorina (1913m, 6275 ft) is a mountain range bordering Trebevic. It is also above Sarajevo. It has two main fresh-water springs, which supply areas around the city with water. The springs flow into the river Bosna and Drina. Jahorina is also a source of strong winds, and scarce land-usage. Most of Jahorina is covered by thick forests, the highest ones reaching heights of 1700 m (5577 ft). Its vegetation is luxuriant. A plane called Saracevo Polje is especially wealthy due to its specific position and sun exposure. Blueberries, strawberries, many different varieties of flowers as well as maple grow in this area. The mountain was named after the abundance of maple that grows here.

As far as biodiversity, the mountain Treskavica is one of the most rich mountains in the country. This is likely due to the abundance of water sources. Several little springs are present as well as two smaller and three bigger natural lakes. The geological structure is the cause of such abundance of water. Trees such as beech, and red maple are abundant on this mountain.[8]

A day's difference in air pollution, Sarajevo.

There are only six centers for air quality measurement in the entire country. The air pollution arises from traffic, and industrial activities. Air pollution significantly increases during the winter and in urban areas, due to very specific geographic positions and temperature changes. For example, since Sarajevo is located in a valley, gas-emissions become trapped in the area, with very little wind to clear it out. This causes heavy and thick smog that lingers for days in the city.[12] In December 2016, the pollution levels reached 50 ug/m3 and above, which is the cap for legally allowed air pollution.[17] In Sarajevo, NO₂ levels were above the legally allowed level, and levels higher than the WHO safe air level standards.[18]

Bosnia and Herzegovina lacks well organized, and efficient administration that would handle its environmental issues quickly and properly. The country does not devote large amounts of resources towards building, sustaining, and developing its environment and economic potential through the environment. As of 2013, the country does not have a clear stance or strategy regarding climate change, nor has it put forward a mitigation commitment. It has identified 28 stationary installations for an emission trading system to be implemented in the future. In the area of nationwide efforts to reduce climate change and assure the sustainability of the country, significant efforts need to be made in the next few years.[19]

Waste is one of the biggest environmental issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[12] Between 35% and 90% of the population is covered by some system of waste-collection. However, much of the equipment is outdated, and in poor condition. In a survey of 11 municipalities in the Drina river basin, the landfills being used did not comply with EU sanitation regulations. The landfills have also reached their capacity. This has led to illegal waste dumping, and in turn has caused many smaller landfills created by residents of the municipalities and located in rural, uninhibited areas close to the Drina. In this way, the eco-syststem of the Drina has been jeopardized.[20] Annual packaging waste amounted to about 240.000 tones in 2010. Only about 5% of total waste is recycled. There are no functioning incinerators in the country. Due to a lack of an organized system for waste disposal, non-hazardous and hazardous waste ends up in the same landfills.[12]

Floods in 2014 severely affected Bosnia and Herzegovina, as pictured in Doboj.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is considered vulnerable to climate change, with limited capacity to adapt.[21][22] Between 1961 and 2016, the country's climate warmed and precipitation became more intense.[23] The country has experienced extreme weather events, in particular a severe drought in 2012 and floods in 2014, which had severe economic impacts. Further impacts are expected as the global climate continues to warm.[21] The agricultural sector, which forms a significant part of the economy and supports its majority rural population, is also being significantly impacted.[22] Tourism, energy production and consumption are also affected by climate change.[23]

• Promoting cleaner alternatives to current vehicles of the public transport
• Appealing to offices of the capital city and other urban areas in the country[24]

• Promoting better, more efficient water management systems
• Creating activities that raise the awareness
• Expanding capacities for water management
• Encouraging problem-solving and strategy-planning related to climate-change
• Include water management efforts as part of other sectors of the industry, such as agriculture, energy, fishing, regional politics and tourism[25]

• Assess and plan the ability and plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• Promote energy efficiency in the sector of energy production[26]

• Promoting joint efforts of care of the biodiversity and the usage of natural resources
• Research European strategies towards the preservation of biodiversity, and assess and potentially implement the same ones in Bosnia and Herzegovina[27]