Western Balkans Environment Programe

Remediation of Environmental Hot Spots as a Precondition for Sustainable Environmental Management in Bosnia and Herzegovina

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, two significant industrial cities joined the project, going green and introducing a new way forward. The cities of Tuzla and Ugljevik, with salient pollution capacities of their industrial plants and heating networks, expressed their willingness to join the program through Memoranda of Understanding, that have been signed, between UNDP and Tuzla Municipality on one, and UNDP and Mine & Thermo Power Plant Ugljevik, for implementation of the sub-projects Reduction of Air pollution though Connecting Clinical Medical Center Tuzla on District Heating Network, and Reconstruction of Facilities for de-mineralization and de-carbonization of Water at the Ugljevik Thermo Power Plant. The Clinical Center was chosen for this activity since it is one of the most critical polluters located near the hospital and very populated urban area of  city of Tuzla, while Thermo Power Plant and Mine in Ugljevik since it is the largest polluter in this region. The aim of the envisaged activities is to reduce the environmental pollution, strengthen the awareness about the need to eliminate the effects of pollution to environment in context of sustainable development, training and networking of sustainable environment management professionals, as well as to contribute the protection of environment through remediation of these two environment hot spots.

Strategically speaking, the activities of the sub-project in Bosnia and Herzegovina - worth 2.2 million s donated + 860.000 US Dollars provided by BiH partners - will focus on strengthening capacities to address environmental problems through three basic components of the project - remediation of high priority hot spots (locations with high levels of pollution), raising awareness and strengthening local capacity, and mobilizing and enhancing professional capacity at all levels. The core of both the regional programme and the BiH specific project is to ensure full synergy and integration of implementation efforts and results achieved by all components, as they are closely related and only together make a full, meaningful intervention that can create change and produce sustainable results.