BH and World Bank Officials and Experts Discuss Protection of BH Biodiversity

FEDERATION OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND TOURISM

Contact: Tomislav Lukić

Phone: +387 33 562-87

 

REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

MINISTRY OFPHYSICAL PLANNING,

CIVIL ENGINEERING AND ECOLOGY

Contact: Gorjana Rosić

Phone: +387 51 339-592

 

THE WORLD BANK

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

COUNTRY OFFICE

Contact: Goran Tinjić

Phone: +387 33 251-518

 

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, October 9, 2008 – Representatives of BH governments, relevant public firms, academia and non-governmental organizations, as well as World Bank local and regional experts have held a workshop to discuss activities necessary to protect country’s reach biodiversity which is facing growing threats.

 

The workshop, which took place between October 6 and 8 in the National Park Sutjeska, effectively marked the beginning of the Forest and Mountain Protected Areas Project. This project is being financed from Global Environment Facility grant worth USD$ 3.4 million, operated by the World Bank, as well as co-financing by entity governments worth USD 2.5 million.

 

It will support BH governments’ efforts to address threats to biodiversity, promote ecosystem management, and expand protected area coverage to a level commensurate with local needs and regional averages. 

 

As a result in part of project preparation, both entities are now committed to provide government budget for protected areas.  This shift in policy will bring BH more in line with practices in most countries in regard to support of their protected areas with sustained government financing.

 

The Project will help create conditions for sustainable and balanced economic development and promoting poverty alleviation through improved use of protected areas for local livelihoods and tourism. At the same time it will support the governments in meeting the EU nature and biodiversity policy (Natura 2000) requirements.

 

With approximately 54% of its territory covered by forests, Bosnia and Herzegovina is endowed with internationally recognized rich biodiversity assets. It sits astride a geographical cross-road, with 5 types of climate and 3 agro-climatic regions present in the country. The 1992-95 conflict, as well as poverty, inadequate land-use planning, and limited capacity of local institutions and lack of awareness of conservation issues, have contributed to unsustainable land use practices and habitat change.

 

Although BH’s forest resources are considered to be among the richest in Europe with a wide variety of coniferous and deciduous species, it is also estimated that 19% of BH’s plant species are threatened - the highest proportion of any European country. Yet currently only 0.6% of its territory is formally protected – the lowest level in Europe, where the average is at 7%.

 

It is expected that as a result of this project, the area under formal protection will increase to 3.0% (i.e., an addition of approximately 120,000 ha), and that key threats to biodiversity at the project sites will decrease or be kept under control.