EU gives 41 million euros for flood recovery and risk management

The European Commission adopted on 17 December a Special Measure package for flood recovery and flood risk management in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2014, worth 41 million euros from IPA II funds, announced the EU Delegation to BiH, as reported by the Bosnian news agency Patria.

In addition to flood prevention and river management, the special measures for BiH 2014 include further EU assistance for the rehabilitation of residential buildings, small and medium-sized enterprises, local economic development in flood-affected areas, support for strengthening civil protection capacities in disaster response, and support in the form of grants to local non-governmental organisations.

This assistance is the second part of a package worth 85 million euros, which the EU committed to at the Donors' Conference in July 2014. It represents a continuation of the aid already provided by the EU through its Flood Recovery Programme worth 42.24 million euros, launched in August 2014 and implemented by UNDP in BiH, UNICEF and IOM until October 2015.

Dr. Renzo Daviddi, Chargé d'Affaires of the European Union Delegation to BiH, stated:

- Timely and coordinated assistance to local communities in normalising living conditions after the catastrophic May floods was our priority. Together with our implementing partners from UNDP, UNICEF and IOM, we succeeded in urgently delivering much-needed assistance on the ground to those most affected. The implementation of the 42 million euro package is ongoing.

The new funds will contribute to strengthening the country's preparedness and protection against similar events in the future, and as such, will signal a transition to the next phase of flood prevention and management, including more structured mechanisms for flood resilience. In addition, these funds will enable the continuation of current and all future EU efforts to assist the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina in mitigating the consequences of floods - said Daviddi.

The focus of this package is on flood prevention, protection and preparedness, as well as the reconstruction of key protective infrastructure in high-risk areas of the Sava river basin, both at the national and regional level.

The national component of the Special Measures 2014 provides 15 million euros in support for improving hydrometeorological systems in the Bosna river area, as well as the reconstruction of priority river infrastructure at critical locations on the Sava, Bosna and Janja rivers. The measures are aligned with the agreed Action Plan for Flood Prevention and River Management in BiH for the period 2014-2017, defined by relevant water agencies and BiH institutions at all levels of government.

- Implementation of the components of the Special Measures 2014 related to flood prevention and river management can only begin after all levels of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina adopt the Action Plan, which provides a strategic framework for coordinated work in this field. We welcome the fact that the procedure for its adoption has been initiated - emphasised Dr. Daviddi.

As part of the Special Measures 2014 package, the EU also adopted 20 million euros from the IPA multinational allocation to support regional river infrastructure projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. This assistance will focus on the reconstruction of embankments on various sections of the Sava and Drina rivers, located in both Serbia and BiH, which have cross-border and regional significance.

The Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) has also already approved grants worth 4.88 million euros, which includes support for the development of flood risk and hazard maps for the entire territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the aim of supporting the country in implementing the EU Floods Directive.

Implementation of the new funds is expected to begin during 2015.