Omerović: Drinking water is the greatest economic potential of BiH

Drinking water is the greatest asset of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the least utilized economic potential, said Muhamed Omerović, professor at the University of Tuzla and president of the ecological movement "Eko Zeleni", for the BiH news agency Patria (NAP), on the occasion of World Water Day, which is celebrated today.

However, despite the natural resources, which could be a driver of the BiH economy with relatively small investments, Omerović says that this wealth is neither exploited nor preserved. In BiH, for example, there are only a few companies that process and package water, and we still import large quantities.

- Governments in BiH must devise programs that will improve the exploitation and processing of drinking water - Omerović told NAP.

According to approximate and incomplete research, water from the mountainous regions of BiH, such as that from the springs on Bjelašnica mountain, Zelengora, Majevica, as well as dozens of other mountains, can rival the most prestigious waters in the world.

Countries from the Arab world, which do not have enough drinking water, are particularly interested in our water. We must find a way to utilize this - Omerović warns NAP.

He notes that there are large sources of clean water throughout BiH at relatively shallow depths, which reduces the cost of the water exploitation process itself. 

In addition to having, as Omerović says, drinking water mines, our country also has large sources of thermal medicinal water, which is also a natural potential that can bring significant economic benefits to the country.

Nevertheless, despite the water of exceptional quality, BiH imported bottled water worth around 20 million in the last year alone, while exporting just over two million.

- We must promote and buy our own water - concludes Omerović.