Around 600 quarries mapped in Bosnia and Herzegovina

(Patria) - The registration of quarries in Bosnia and Herzegovina has shown the existence of around 600 active and abandoned exploitation sites across the country, which clearly indicates the scale of the impact of these activities on the environment and human safety.

The research was conducted by the Association of Citizens "Fojničani" Maglaj within the project "Mapping Quarries for the Sustainability of Natural Resources and Safety of Local Communities", with the aim of consolidating data on exploitation sites in one place and highlighting the risks these activities entail.

The project results will be presented on October 7, 2025, at the Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo. On that occasion, the public will be shown a comprehensive database of quarries, an analysis of the legal framework, and safety assessments conducted at selected locations.

The database will be presented by Anes Podić from the organization Eko akcija Sarajevo, safety assessments and recommendations will be presented by Prof. Dr. Muriz Spahić, while Emina Veljović from the Aarhus Centre Sarajevo will speak about the legal framework and institutional responsibilities in the field of mineral raw material exploitation.

Experiences from numerous areas show that most quarries in BiH operate without adequate supervision, often with unclear concession status and minimal monitoring of environmental impact.

Therefore, this project represents an important step towards greater transparency and accountability of institutions, as well as towards empowering local communities to actively participate in the supervision of natural resource use.

It is particularly encouraging that citizens played an important role in the project, contributing to data collection and identification of irregularities through their activism and field reports.

Their engagement shows that awareness of the importance of environmental protection and safety is growing, and that citizens are increasingly decisively demanding their right to a clean, safe, and healthy living space.