The Project to develop the Environmental Strategy and Action Plan for BiH until 2030 and onwards (BiH ESAP 2030+) has now entered the implementation phase.
ESAP BiH 2030+ is a strategic document which will define the objectives of environmental policies in BiH and the main activities until 2032 and beyond. This document is expected to improve the countries’ environmental policies and facilitate compliance of the legislation with the EU environmental regulations across the levels of the government – BiH, FBiH, RS and BD BiH. The overall ESAP document will comprise of four action plans, one for each jurisdiction and one for the state level, and will cover seven EU environmental thematic areas: water, waste, biodiversity, air quality, climate and energy, chemical safety and noise, resource management and environmental governance.
The preparation of the BiH ESAP 2030+ was entrusted to Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), which will deliver a key tool for the government to achieve environmental sustainability and enhance the health and wellbeing of both current and future generations across the country. The financial support to the implementation of the project is provided by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden in BiH.
“We are very happy to see this materializing and that implementation has begun. This Strategy brings everyone in BiH together under the umbrella of environment. Sweden appreciates that there is commitment from all levels of government. We believe that high-level participation in the process will generate good results benefitting the environment and the people of BiH. Also, it will make important contributions to the EU accession process, as well as the BiH’s commitment to fulfil Agenda 2030.” – Torgny Svenungsson, Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Sweden to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On a long-term basis, the project will improve the environment in BiH and also support BiH in its aspiration to join the European Union.
According to the UN report from 2018, while progress has been made over the last decade in addressing environmental issues, major environmental challenges are still facing BiH. These include air pollution, problems with managing waste and wastewater treatment, deforestation, concerns about the impact of hydropower on water resources and biodiversity, and a need for more protected areas – all issues BiH ESAP 2030+ will likely seek to address.
The project ESAP 2030+ should be finalized in April 2022.
/strong%20has%20now%20entered%20the%20implementation%20phase.ESAP%20BiH%202030+%20is%20a%20strategic%20document%20which%20will%20define%20the%20objectives%20of%20environmental%20policies%20in%20BiH%20and%20the%20main%20activities%20until%202032%20and%20beyond.%20This%20document%20is%20expected%20to%20improve%20the%20countries’%20environmental%20policies%20and%20facilitate%20compliance%20of%20the%20legislation%20with%20the%20EU%20environmental%20regulations%20across%20the%20levels%20of%20the%20government%20-%20BiH,%20FBiH,%20RS%20and%20BD%20BiH.%20The%20overall%20ESAP%20document%20will%20comprise%20of%20four%20action%20plans,%20one%20for%20each%20jurisdiction%20and%20one%20for%20the%20state%20level,%20and%20will%20cover%20seven%20EU%20environmental%20thematic%20areas:%20water,%20waste,%20biodiversity,%20air%20quality,%20climate%20and%20energy,%20chemical%20safety%20and%20noise,%20resource%20management%20and%20environmental%20governance.%5Bcaption%20id=attachment_3074%20align=aligncenter%20width=1440%5Dimg%20class=wp-image-3074%20size-full%20src=https://esap.ba/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ESAP-BiH-2030_Rijeka-Drina.png%20alt=%20width=1440%20height=1080%20/%20Drina%20River%5B/caption%5DThe%20preparation%20of%20the%20BiH%20ESAP%202030+%20was%20entrusted%20to%20a%20href=https://www.sei.org/about-sei/policies-guidance/privacy/Stockholm%20Environment%20Institute%20(SEI),/a%20which%20will%20deliver%20a%20key%20tool%20for%20the%20government%20to%20achieve%20environmental%20sustainability%20and%20enhance%20the%20health%20and%20wellbeing%20of%20both%20current%20and%20future%20generations%20across%20the%20country.%20The%20financial%20support%20to%20the%20implementation%20of%20the%20project%20is%20provided%20by%20a%20href=https://www.swedenabroad.se/en/embassies/bosnia-and-herzegovina-sarajevo/the%20Embassy%20of%20the%20Kingdom%20of%20Sweden%20in%20BiH/a.“We%20are%20very%20happy%20to%20see%20this%20materializing%20and%20that%20implementation%20has%20begun.%20This%20Strategy%20brings%20everyone%20in%20BiH%20together%20under%20the%20umbrella%20of%20environment.%20Sweden%20appreciates%20that%20there%20is%20commitment%20from%20all%20levels%20of%20government.%20We%20believe%20that%20high-level%20participation%20in%20the%20process%20will%20generate%20good%20results%20benefitting%20the%20environment%20and%20the%20people%20of%20BiH.%20Also,%20it%20will%20make%20important%20contributions%20to%20the%20EU%20accession%20process,%20as%20well%20as%20the%20BiH’s%20commitment%20to%20fulfil%20Agenda%202030.”%20-%20strongTorgny%20Svenungsson,%20Counsellor%20and%20Deputy%20Head%20of%20Mission,%20Embassy%20of%20Sweden%20to%20Bosnia%20and%20Herzegovina./strongOn%20a%20long-term%20basis,%20the%20project%20will%20improve%20the%20environment%20in%20BiH%20and%20also%20support%20BiH%20in%20its%20aspiration%20to%20join%20the%20European%20Union.According%20to%20the%20UN%20report%20from%202018,%20while%20progress%20has%20been%20made%20over%20the%20last%20decade%20in%20addressing%20environmental%20issues,%20major%20environmental%20challenges%20are%20still%20facing%20BiH. %20These%20include%20air%20pollution,%20problems%20with%20managing%20waste%20and%20wastewater%20treatment,%20deforestation,%20concerns%20about%20the%20impact%20of%20hydropower%20on%20water%20resources%20and%20biodiversity,%20and%20a%20need%20for%20more%20protected%20areas%20–%20all%20issues%20BiH%20ESAP%202030+%20will%20likely%20seek%20to%20address.The%20project%20ESAP%202030+%20should%20be%20finalized%20in%20April%202022.){kind=link}