Stories of Impact A series highlighting achievements in disaster risk management Building Back Better in Bosnia and Herzegovina REGION: EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA PROJECT DESCRIPTION: FOCUS: RESILIENT RECOVERY COUNTRY: BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA In May 2014, unprecedented rainfall in Bosnia and Herzegovina affected more than 1 million people (25% of the population), and the resulting heavy flooding caused estimated damages and losses equivalent to nearly 15% of the country’s GDP. In a country where one fifth of the workforce is employed in agriculture, river floods inundated newly-plowed fields and ravaged 81 municipalities, severely disrupting the economy and imperiling livelihoods. RESULTS: In response to this crisis, a Recovery Needs Assessment • The Recovery Needs Assessment’s findings, which estimated damages and losses at (RNA) was launched by the Governments in Bosnia and $2.7 billion, leveraged $100 million from the Herzegovina with support from the Global Facility for World Bank IDA’s Crisis Response Window Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), the World Bank, to finance emergency goods and rehabilitate high-priority infrastructure. the European Union, and the United Nations Development • More than 105,000 people received Programme (UNDP). This resulting assessment was used emergency assistance, including agricultural to quantify damages and provide a robust reconstruction goods (seeds, irrigation equipment, and and recovery plan for effective rehabilitation of energy greenhouses) to restore livelihoods and received construction materials to rebuild supply, water and sanitation, transport, and other vital damaged houses. infrastructure and services in flood-affected areas. • More than 500,000 people, nearly half of whom are women, have benefitted from rehabilitated infrastructure and flood protection in affected areas since the 2014 floods. CONTEXT: With more than 2,500 km2 of territory prone to flooding, Bosnia and Herzegovina is particularly vulnerable to extreme precipitation and river basin flooding, which have intensified in recent years. Despite improved emergency services, floods and landslides represent a recurring risk, as seen in December 2010 and May 2014. At the moment, the country’s annual average population affected by flooding exceeds 100,000, and the annual average impact on GDP is nearly $600 million. The most productive regions are also among the most exposed areas of the country as they are located around the Sava, Drina, Bosna and Vrbas rivers, which have many agricultural holdings, industrial facilities, energy plants, and touristic sites. APPROACH: After the destructive flooding, the RNA helped the Governments in Bosnia and Herzegovina to quantify damages and, equally important, provided timely technical assistance to launch sustainable reconstruction efforts. By identifying opportunities for instilling disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation consideration into national and subnational recovery and development strategies, this expert assistance was able to: • Facilitate donor coordination and prioritize the most flood- “I was born and raised here and I can’t affected areas. Following the RNA, donor efforts, including the remember the water ever being that World Bank financed Flood Emergency Recovery Project, focused on rehabilitating regional roads and railways and flood protection high. When the floods happened, it was infrastructure, as well as local infrastructure such as rural night. In the morning, we saw what roads, water and sanitation, schools, hospitals and other priority happened. Anyone who has seen that infrastructure and services at a community level. will always remember. You don’t believe • Support “build back better” principle. In the design and anyone will help, however, we received rehabilitation or reconstruction of priority infrastructure, a lot of support. We were motivated improving construction and efficiency standards alongside infrastructure robustness to future flooding and rainfall-induced by all the help we received, and we landslide events, was particularly emphasized. recovered fast – in about a year.” • Ensure that gender-responsive preparedness considerations play - Sudo Forto, farmer, Gorazde, Bosnia and Herzegovina a key role in recovery planning, including mapping vulnerable groups and expanding SOS telephone lines. NEXT STEPS: LESSONS LEARNED: Given projections of increased flooding due to climate change, GFDRR, the World Bank, and their partners will ensure that post- Strengthening resilience against future shocks demands that flood recovery efforts reinforce the country’s disaster resilience by early considerations should be made for reducing inequalities capitalizing on its existing multi-sector engagements in disaster risk that create vulnerability. For example, resources dedicated management, and putting in place comprehensive flood protection to women’s economic and political empowerment, and for and preparedness measures. With more ongoing efforts dedicated equal participation in all disaster-related forums, will be key to to reconstruct affected regional and local infrastructure ongoing, building back better to reduce future disaster risks. the Floods Emergency Recovery Project has provide d assistance to 500,000 people in flood-affected areas. Technical Partnering with local governments in identifying rehabilitation assistance will continue to strengthen civil protection capacity as measures increases ownership and accountability. Assigning well as regional cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina, the decision making authority as close as possible to Serbia, and Montenegro to improve integrated river basin flood risk affected persons improved local ownership and enhanced management. the accountability of local authorities. Building on the RNA’s recommendations, the resulting World Bank-funded project (Floods Emergency Recovery Project) enabled national and Ko Takeuchi local governments to set priorities among pre-selected Contact ktakeuchi@worldbank.org intervention options in order to improve living conditions Learn more at www.gfdrr.org *ALL MONETARY VALUES IN USD within their respective communities.