EIB Loan Preparation for Flood Risk Management in Bosnia
In June 2009 flood events ravaged the Republika Srpska (RS), causing the need for immediate assistance to thousands of people, in particular in the flood plains of the Sava and its tributaries the Bosna, Drina, Vrbas, Velika Usora, Mala Ukrina and Vrbanja rivers.
Several municipalities were flooded and damaging land and residential objects across the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Republika Srpska. Damage to houses and infrastructure resulted in approximately 14,910 people in urgent need of food assistance, safe water and non-food assistance. In some municipalities water and electricity supply was interrupted and road traffic (particularly in Republika Srpska) was blocked due to the damages and high water level. A large number of people (1,938 families) were evacuated towards temporary accommodations or collective centers.
Floods in Municipality of Derventa
These floods caused the RS authorities to declare an emergency situation and seeking financial support from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to remedy the damages caused to people, installations and infrastructure. The RS and the EIB agreed that Emergency Flood measures cannot be seen as standalone activities, but should be consistent with a mid and long term Flood Risk Management Strategy for the country. Jeroen Kool was strategic advisor for the development of a Catalogue of Mid and Long Terms Flood Risk Management Measures as ‘building blocks’ for such a mid and long term strategy, including middle and long term measures. This was done based on various meetings with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry in Banja Luka, with the Water Authority in Bijeljina, and the International Sava River Basin Commission in Zagreb and based on the evaluation of literature and relevant back ground information.
More information: www.eib.org/projects/pipeline/2010/20100479