Waste - Outlook 2020 (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Although the entities recognize the need to significantly strengthen capacities in solid waste management and have identified this as a priority in their strategic documents, the lack of funding resulted in minimal progress until the World Bank supported the government with USD 26 millions (Solid Waste Management Program 1 – SWMP I) for priority rehabilitation of old dump sites and setting up of new regional landfills. Main regions receiving funding under SWMP I were Sarajevo, Zenica, Bihac, Tuzla and Banja Luka. Following the successful implementation of the project, a second World Bank loan of USD 40 million was approved in 2008 (Solid Waste Management Programme 2 – SWMP II) aiming at supporting landfill rehabilitation in 6-10 regions. The loan became available in mid-2009 and the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2014. The loan is taken by the municipalities using the regional landfill, while at the same time they act as the Contracting Authority.

Procurement follows the rules and procedures of the World Bank while Project Management Units (PMU) has been established in FBiH and RS respectively to implement the projects.

Regional landfills currently operating are those in Sarajevo and Zenica whereas new regional landfills are being constructed in Bijeljina and Banja Luka. Similarly a landfill design is being carried out for a multi-municipal landfill (including rehabilitation of the existing dumpsite) in Tuzla where approximately 3 million Euros are expected to be spent by the end of 2009 for a range of waste management and landfill equipment.

Given the lack of technical and financial capacity with local municipalities, in 2009, the EU provided technical assistance to BiH authorities for preparation of studies for localisation of regional sanitary landfills and feasibility studies in 7 regions of BiH. The technical assistance will support the municipalities applying for the World Bank SWMP II project. To date, the EU has provided technical assistance for drafting a strategy and has financed the purchase of recycling equipment at the Sarajevo landfill, the closure and restoration of dumpsites at Knezevo and Trebinje as well as waste management plans and technical assistance for Doboj, Livno and Trebinje.

Table 2: Operational goals for municipal waste - Strategic Goal 7.2 (Federal Waste Management Strategy)

The focus for this sector in the future is to implement the strategies and adopted legislation in order to improve the overall performance and reduce negative impacts. It is necessary to establish and strengthen an environmentally friendly integrated waste management system to reduce municipal waste disposal and introduce recycling schemes. Some of the measures to improve the system are: separate collection of municipal waste (paper, plastics and hazardous waste) and, to the extent possible, recycling municipal waste, such as paper, plastics, glass, metal and organic waste, and industrial waste, separating and incinerating medical waste, composting organic waste, introducing standards for municipal waste disposal and introducing economic instruments and improving existing financial mechanisms for the overall waste management system. Attention also needs to be given to reducing waste generation at the source and introducing life-cycle analysis in order to achieve sustainable consumption and production. 

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