Prevention of natural disasters in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Bosnia and Herzegovina has suffered severe damages due to natural disasters in the recent years. The country has shortage any kind of a short or long term strategy that would clearly define the priorities and steps to be taken in upgrading the country’s capacities to plan, assess, prevent or mitigate the effects produced by natural or other types of disasters. However Bosnia and Herzegovina has made great strides from a post-conflict to a pre-European Union accession country in a relatively short time and continuing the process to become a well functioning state. The EU forces (EUFOR) took over the operations from the Stabilisation Force (SFOR) as of 1 January, 2005. From that time EUFOR has been providing for support to the Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities in the case of natural disasters, as disasters are a feature of the Balkans.