REC Country Office Bosnia and Herzegovina
and REC Field office Banja Luka

Contents of this page:
Establishment Staff Achievements Projects Expertise Donors
Contact address

Year of Establishment:
1997

Current Staff:

Major Achievements:
Operating under what are still extremely sensitive circumstances and, as a consequence of the post war period still high level of distrust, lack of legislation and very weak institutions, Country Office Bosnia and Herzegovina has established excellent cooperation and relations with governments (state, entities and cantonal), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) business and other environmental stakeholders - by being perceived as a neutral and professional organization. Country Office Bosnia and Herzegovina, as an environmental organization, can bring together all environmental stakeholders through out the Country. The country office is the only international organization in BiH that provides a full range of services to NGOs in terms of financial support, capacity building and information in the environmental field. The country office is also a focal point for the international donor community. It is regularly contacted as the best source of information and knowledge on the environmental situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Main Projects:

Support to the Public Regional Service Company and four BiH municipalities
The main goal of the project is to reduce the pollution of the environment from untreated waste water polluting Vrbas River and through this to improve the quality of life of citizens in the municipalities of upper Vrbas river basin: Bugojno, Jajce, Donji Vakuf and Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje.
This goal will be realised though providing support to institutional strengthening and capacity building of the Public Regional Communal Service Company, municipal communal service companies and municipalities aimed to prepare the Pre feasibility study that will cover not only infrastructure development but also needs for future institutional and capacity building and sustainable functioning of the Public Regional Communal Service Company and municipalities.
Specific goals of the project:
- To assess the current situation in waste water services and to provide recommendations for changes needed in the Public Regional Communal Service Company, municipal communal service companies and municipalities of Bugojno, Jajce, Donji Vakuf and Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje;
- To support the Public Regional Communal Service Company in assessing needs for investment projects development, preparation and management.
In result the beneficiaries will be better prepared to manage waste water improvements infrastructure projects.

The Wastewater Treatment with Non-Conventional Technologies in Mostar /Bosnia and Herzegovina/
The project will assist in solving highly visible environmental problems related to wastewater treatment in Mostar through the introduction of the Non-Conventional Technologies (NCTs). NCTs would be presented to the different stakeholders from several municipalities through the training sessions and workshop. Guidelines on NCTs will be prepared, as well as project documentation for Pilot location for Mostar. Objectives of the project are following:
- Improvement of the capacities of local authorities and other key stakeholders through organized training sessions;
- Creation of the guideline on identification, development and preparation of the projects on Non-Conventional Technologies; and
- Development of concrete project proposal on Non-Conventional Technologies for Mostar.
It is expected that the Project will introduce the Non-Conventional Technologies to local authorities and other stakeholders, and point out the advantages of the NCT in relation to the conventional technologies. Usage of these technologies could contribute to solving highly visible environmental problems related to wastewater treatment in Mostar and other municipalities.

Impact of the Municipal wastewater on the River Vrbas
The goal of the project is to monitor water quality of the River Vrbas, as well as the quality of the wastewater discharged in Vrbas in three urban areas (municipalities Bugojno, Jajce and Banja Luka); and in line with integral water management. Based on the research, the project should also recommend possible adequate technical solutions for protection and improvement of the river water quality in the sense of development of sewerage systems and wastewater treatment facilities.
The project will take into consideration new B&H Laws on Waters, as well as Laws on Environmental Protection, Law on Communal Activities, EU Water Framework Directive and the principles of the integral water management. It will also, take into account the implementation process in BiH of the International Conventions and Agreement and EU Directives on Waters. Currently, the project implementation is in very final stage, when project team is preparing the solutions – technical and technological, aimed to improvement of the situation on the field.

Setting up instruments for sustainable cleaning of the solid waste in the Drina River Basin
This project is follow up of the project “Strengthening Environmental Cross-border Cooperation in the Drina River Basin”.
The main goal of the project is to provide facilitation and technical support to the process of environmental cross border cooperation of local communities in the Drina River Basin.
This goal will be realized through the following activities:
- Empowering Drina River Committee for addressing environmental problems in the Drina River basin
- Support to cleaning of the Lake Perucac and Drina River banks
- Awareness raising campaign in the Drina river basin.
Specific goals and project outcomes:
1. DRC executive structure established and at least six sessions organized
2. DRC administration office established and functional
3. Pilot municipalities selected, trash bins installed along the river banks
4. Educational pack developed, video and audio clips produced and broadcasted, bulletin printed and distributed
The project officially started on March 12th 2007 at the workshop held on Tara Mountain.

Eco – educational Campaign for Waste Management Improvement in Una-Sana Canton “EKOLUCIJA” is financed by Regional Landfill «US REG-DEP» d.o.o. Bihac
Project duration is 1 year (January 2007 – December 2007). Goal of the project is public awareness raising and support to environmental protection through improvement of waste management system. Activities in the project are: Preparation of promotional materials (visual identity, booklet, leaflet etc.), Radio and TV contact programs; Preparation and broadcasting of TV spots and radio jingles etc., Organization of 8 public hearings, 8 round tables in Una-Sana Canton, Organization of various environmental dates celebrations through schools education, Evaluation survey (public questionnaires), Press conferences, Study tour to regional sanitary landfill in Sarajevo Canton... Project is in second phase of implementation and results achieved so far are very satisfactory.

Support to Environmental NGOs in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Through the generosity of various donors, since 1997 REC BiH has been offering grant program dedicated to supporting environmental projects for selected NGOs in carrying out environmental projects on following issues:

• Environmental protection (general)
• Sustainable Development
• Waste Management
• Water Management
• Rural Development
• Public participation (in environmental decision making processes)
• Danube River nutrient reduction
• Urban environment and sustainable urban development.
• Biodiversity protection, Eco Tourism development etc.

The aim of grant program is support to development and strengthening the environmental NGOs in BiH and their small-scale projects through the Local or National Grants Program. Since 1997, REC BiH granted more than 600.000 EUR to BiH NGOs.

Cross - Border LEAPs: Environmental Planning for Peace and Stability
The project will introduce the LEAP methodology to four communities in a cross-border region of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro, and will guide these communities to prepare LEAPs, drawing upon the REC’s ten years of experience working with LEAPs throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Based on a common appreciation and need for improved environmental protection in the region, the project will foster cooperation across borders and ethnic groups, through coordination of the local environmental planning process in the four border communities. The project will work closely with local authorities and key stakeholders in municipalities of Bratunac and Rudo (in Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Ljubovija and Priboj (Serbia and Montenegro) to set up working groups, survey citizens’ opinions, assess and prioritize environmental issues, set environmental goals and targets, and prepare a detailed action plan for achieving the community environmental goals. The final, publicly accepted LEAP document will be submitted to the municipal authorities for formal adoption. Once the LEAP documents are formally adopted, the project will co-finance one selected priority action in each municipality. The LEAPs will be followed up with targeted training for key local stakeholders in implementation planning for actions, investment preparation, and project financing. The four communities will work together throughout the course of the project, and will attend coordination workshops at each critical point in the LEAP process.

Development of Local Environmental Action Plans in BiH
The project aimed to give support in development and implementation of the LEAPs to six municipalities in BiH (Prijedor, Doboj, Zivinice, Maglaj, Sanski Most and Novi Grad Sarajevo Municipality). The project addressed issues of sustainable development and encouraged public participation, as main component of the civil society building and democratization process. Project lasted from April 2004 till December 2006. First three months of the project were used for selection of the municipalities and final organization of the project. Following 10 months were foreseen for development of the LEAP documents. After adoption of LEAP documents, municipal council in each municipality made decision on selection of priority project that should be implemented. Priority projects were successfully realized in December 2006. The whole project contributed to the process of strategic addressing of environmental problems on local level in the country.

Support to the International Sava Initiative - Assessment of the legal status of Inland Navigation in four riparian courtiers
The project, at the process of the establishing of the Sava structure (The Commission, Secretariat and Working Groups) covered three main areas: Secretariat services; legal support; and stakeholder engagement. The project built upon the prior and ongoing support in cooperation with BAH in the field of secretariat services and legal expertise, continuing support in a field of operational work within the Sava Region. The main issue covered by ongoing activities is related to preparation of the legal situation regarding inland transportation.
The objectives of the project are to:

• Provide a clear picture on current situation in legal field inland navigation;
• Provide gap analysis and differences in national legal systems.
• Support the drafting of national and int’l legal acts aimed to facilitate establishing of the navigation regime on the Sava and its tributaries.
• Support countries in achievement of standards of EU through national and regional legal acts.

Institutional Strengthening of MoE RS and MoE Federation B&H
Background info: Country Office Bosnia facilitated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, signed by the two entities' ministers of environment in 1998. This document led to the establishment of an Environmental Steering Committee, an inter-entity expert body entitled to facilitate cooperation between the two entities.

Two-phased project «Institutional Strengthening of Entity Ministries of Environment and the preparation of Framework Environmental Law for BiH and Feasibility Study for Establishment of Environmental Agency of BiH», financed by the Italian Ministry of Environment and Territory (IMET) thought the Italian Trust Fund (ITF), started in 2002 and was finalized in 2005. Team of nineteen experts was involved in its realization. Joint work and consultations, comprising working meetings, study tour to the APAT and several update/operational meetings of the local team, concurred in the development of high quality materials. The Framework Environmental Law and the Feasibility Study on the future BiH Environmental Agency were prepared and circulated for comments within relevant BiH institutions, international organisations in BiH and EU funded environmental projects in BiH (CARDS). They were, beginning of 2005, preceded to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, officially appointed state body for finalization of the documents and processing them into the adoption procedure.

The project “Support for Capacity Building For Environmental Management in BiH” was one of the projects financed under the CARDS 2002 programme, which together form an integral package of technical assistance by the European Union to enhance environmental management in BiH. The package was intended to lay the groundwork for further EU assistance to the environment for the follow-up Cards 2003 and 2004 programmes, which beyond Technical Assistance are intended to provide financial support for physical investments and for institutional-building.
The project consisted of two major parts: a legal and economics related one. The legal component supported relevant institutions in developing selected secondary environmental legislation in line with the EU Aquis. Under the economics component the project consultants supported capacity building the state, entities’, cantons’ and municipalities’ staff responsible for environmental protection and investment planning.

Country Office Expertise:

• Environmental Law / Environmental Policy
• Environmental Capacity Building and Information
• NGO Support
• Business and Environment
• Aarhus Convention and public participation issues
• Local Initiatives
• Health and Environment

Donors for Projects:

• Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency- SIDA
• The Netherlands Ministry for Development Cooperation
• The Norwegian Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Italian Ministry of Environment and Territory
  trough Italian Trust Fund
• Republic of Austria
• United States Environmental Protection Agency -USEPA
• Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation - SDC
• Japan Special Fund - JSF
• The Deutsche Gesellschaft
  fur Techniche Zusammenarbeit - GTZ
• United Nations Environment Programme - UNEP
• European Commission
• World Bank
  

Contact address:
Country Office
Kalemova 34, 71000
Sarajevo
Tel: (387-33) 209 130, (387-33) 263 050
Fax: (387-33) 263 051
E-mail: 
Jasna Draganic - djasna@rec.org.ba
Enisa Pulic - epulic@rec.org.ba
Sunita Buljubasic - Selak - sselak@rec.org.ba
Inka Persic - inka@rec.org.ba
Andrea Bevanda - Hrvo - abevanda@rec.org.ba
Amela Sahovic - amela@rec.org.ba
Nirmela Musa - mnirmela@rec.org.ba
Lejla Pulic - lejla@rec.org.ba
Suad Hajric - sudoh@rec.org.ba

Web: www.rec.org.ba

Field Office Banja Luka
Slavka Rodica 1
78000 Banja Luka, Republika Srpska
Tel./Fax: (387-51) 215 243, (387 51) 215 297
E-mail: rec.bl@inecco.net, djolev@blic.net

Project Office Mostar
Ante Starcevica b.b.
88000 Mostar
Tel./fax: (387-36) 327 331
E-mail: rec-neretva@tel.net.ba

 
Related information:

Map of Bosnia and Herzegovina

NEAP BiH

This page was last updated: 
May 2007

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