ENG - UN CC:Learn

EUROPE AND THE COMMONWEALTH OF
INDEPENDENT STATES
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
MDG7
Progress Towards Environmental Sustainability
Various authoritative studies have shown that Bosnia and Herzegovina is
facing serious weaknesses in environmental management and regulation.
These include: weak environmental policy and legislation, especially at
the state level; insufficient technical capacity; an absence of public participation
in the decision-making process; inadequate monitoring; and no
effective economic incentives, such as taxes, to promote compliance. The very low level of political interest in the
country’s environmental problems as well as a widespread lack of expertise and capacity within official circles has
worsened the prospects for environmental sustainability efforts in the country.
As per Target 11 of MDG 7 – significantly improving the lives of slum dwellers – the prevalence of land mines in the Bosnia and
Herzegovina context serves as a major and unacceptable limitation on the quality of ordinary daily life, and their removal is therefore
regarded as an appropriate and positive replacement for the target given in the global framework. It is alarming that eight
years after the end of hostilities, 75-80% of the known mine fields still remain to be cleared, thereby intensifying the need to accelerate
de-mining efforts.
Much still needs to be done to halve the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water by 2015. According to
2000/2001 base data, 53% of the population was connected to main water supply systems. The government aims to increase this
percentage so that by 2015, 67% of the population will be connected to secure water supply systems. Investment in water delivery
infrastructure is therefore of high priority in order to achieve these
targets.
QUICK FACTS
Total UNDP-GEF and Co-Finance: $50,000
Total UNDP and Co-Finance: $250,000
Total: $300,000
Adriatic
Sea
CROATIA
Banja Luka
BOSNIA AND
HERCEGOVINA
Sarajevo
Achievement of the MDGs will require substantial policy changes
and good governance. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, all of the characteristics
of good governance - accountability, transparency, participation,
professionalism, and efficiency, are called into question.
There needs to be a stronger push for reforms in order to avoid
stagnation and to make progress towards the MDGs. 1
Pale
SERBIA AND
MONTENEGRO
ALBANIA
Raising Awareness on the Benefits of Recycling 2
SPOTLIGHT
Solid waste jeopardizes the soil, the water and the air. In the period immediately following the conflict in 1995, Bosnia and
Herzegovina was not able to address this environmental problem adequately, resulting in over 10,000 registered dumpsites by
the banks of Bosnian rivers. However, environmental concerns are increasingly being given a higher priority as concerns over
war are left behind.
In 2004, with US$ 50,000 funding from UNDP, volunteers from the environmental organization Ekotim launched the campaign,
“What should you know about waste – Not all waste is garbage!” The campaign promoted collection of separated waste and
reached approximately 25,000 citizens of selected pilot areas of Sarajevo.
Ekotim prepared the campaign in cooperation with local waste collection company KJKP RAD, with advisory support from
UNDP, UN Volunteers and the Ministry for Urban Planning and Protection of the Environment. The main objective of the campaign
was to raise awareness among school pupils and their parents of the importance and potentials of waste recycling, focusing
on the separate collection of plastic, aluminium, paper and cardboard. Ekotim volunteers, in collaboration with the ecological
departments of selected elementary schools, trained pupils and encouraged them to share their acquired knowledge
among relatives, neighbours and friends in order to maximize impact and collect the highest possible quantity of separated
waste in the containers placed in the pilot school yards.
STRATEGIES
The project was very successful with over 30 tons of paper collected by school children in the city of Sarajevo. More importantly
however, the enthusiasm shown by the students towards recycling represents an important and encouraging sign for the
successful implementation of future campaigns and for a cleaner environment for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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