Bosnia and Herzegovina country profile - SDGs and the environment

The country’s SDG Framework document defines key priority areas and targets for reaching Agenda 2030. This vast analytical work has been synthesised into a situation analysis and three development pathways until 2030, along with corresponding accelerators and drivers (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2019).

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s actions towards SDGs with an environmental dimension focus on SDGs 6, 12, 13, 14 and 15.  

Bosnia and Herzegovina clusters its SDG implementation into the ‘5ps’: people, prosperity, planet, peace, partnership. Under the ‘planet’ cluster, it aims to achieve protection from degradation, changes in consumption and production patterns, the sustainable management of natural resources and urgent action on climate change through implementation of SDGs 6, 12, 13, 14 and 15 (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2019).

On SDG 6, Bosnia and Herzegovina is working towards the protection and sustainable use of water resources to ensure that drinking water is accessible to all. For SDG 12, it envisages activities focused on better use of environmental principles in business operations and respect for the principle of energy efficiency. On SDG 13, the emphasis is on taking urgent action to combat the impacts of climate change on the country. On SDG 14, Bosnia and Herzegovina aims to tackle the issue of ballast waters from maritime transport (recognised as the main vectors behind the spread of invasive species in the Adriatic Sea), as the introduction of invasive species and the loss of biodiversity further threaten tourism and fishing activities, including in coastal areas. On SDG 15, Bosnia and Herzegovina will continue to implement activities aimed at the sustainable management of forests, combatting desertification, halting and reversing land degradation and halting biodiversity loss. The Directorate for Economic Planning is the leading body for implementation of the SDGs (Oprašić, 2016).

Bosnia and Herzegovina submitted a VNR to the UN in 2019.

In October 2016, the UN in Bosnia and Herzegovina launched ‘Imagine2030’ (Zamisli 2030), an umbrella initiative to advocate, promote and engage citizens with the SDGs and to create a consultation tool for them (Oprašić, 2016).