Blame for Bosnia’s Flood Catastrophe

Activists Say That Environmental Erosion and Corporate Greed Are Root Causes

A drone view shows a flooded residential area in Kiseljak, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 4 October 2024. Photo credit: Amel Emric

At least 20 people died in the devastating floods that swept through Bosnia and Herzegovina on 4 October 2024, with fears the toll could rise as search and rescue teams continue their operations.

Local activists have linked the impact of the floods to unchecked exploitation of natural resources and extractivism, rampant across the country. For decades, Bosnia and Herzegovina has faced widespread deforestation, illegal waste dumping near rivers, mass construction of hydroelectric plants, and the operations of illegal quarries. Activists warn that the catastrophic consequences of the most recent floods are hardly surprising given this backdrop of environmental erosion.

The hardest-hit area is Donja Jablanica, where at least a dozen people died, and more remain missing after an illegal quarry apparently collapsed under torrential rainfall. Boulders from the quarry, situated less than a kilometer away from the town, crashed down on homes and infrastructure, including railway lines, intensifying the destruction and trapping residents. The combination of heavy rain and eroded ground left the area completely cut off, with residents literally drowning in the rubble of their own homes.

In the aftermath, public prosecutors have announced an investigation into the quarry’s operations, though local environmental activists are not impressed by the announcement. They argue that authorities knew the quarry was operating illegally for over two decades but chose to look the other way. Anes Podić from Eko Akcija pointed out that this case is far from isolated, warning that the continued indifference from regional and federal authorities all but guarantees future disasters of this kind.

While surrounding countries and the European Union have pledged humanitarian support, the core issue of resource exploitation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is unlikely to be resolved without substantial structural investment—something that seems far-fetched given the country’s economic situation.

In this context, grassroots resistance remains key in halting further environmental destruction. Robert Oroz, from Foundation ACT, called on communities to take action when they see destructive activities in their areas. “Don’t let them pave over the riverbeds, don’t let them cut down the forests along the riverbanks, don’t let them dump waste into the rivers, and don’t allow them to narrow the river courses to build sheds or barns,” Oroz said in a video report from a village near Fojnica, located just 60 kilometers from the capital Sarajevo.

In 2014, floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina caused devastation and left widespread damage that, according to activists, has never been fully addressed. With next to no institutional support and natural resources continually eroded by profit-driven exploitation, it appears that popular mobilization is the only remaining defense against further destruction.