Collaboration is key to successful land management in Bosnia and Herzegovina

According to Vlado Pijunović, National Programme Coordinator of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, approximately 40 percent of the country’s total land area is degraded, of which the largest portion is situated in Herzegovina and is largely due to rocky terrain, soil erosion, prolonged droughts, and recurrent floods.

Speaking at a three-day workshop on sustainable and integrated management of land-based resources (land, soil, water and forest) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which took place at the end of the April in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Pijunović announced that a specialised programme will be formed to tackle these challenges, along with a funding mechanism will be established to support the proposed solutions.

Organized jointly by FAO and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the workshop identified critical land degradation issues and develop long-term solutions.

Dzenan Vukotic, Director of Agropedology Institute of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, explained that “Bosnia and Herzegovina has a limited amount of land suitable for intensive agricultural production. Within the overall structure of land areas, high-quality soil—classified between Grades I and III—accounts for approximately 14 percent of the total. To better understand the availability and both economic and environmental capacity of the land, it is important to note that per capita land availability stands at just 0.17 hectares, which is extremely low and highly concerning.”

The absence of vegetation is a major challenge for degraded land, making it essential to maintain a vegetative cover for soil stability. Without it, the land becomes more vulnerable to erosion and degradation.

The mountainous topography of Bosnia and Herzegovina poses significant difficulties in implementing sustainable land management because the orographic characteristics exacerbate climatic extremes, including flooding, landslides, torrential flows, erosion, and drought.

Wildfires, improper waste management, inadequate agricultural and forestry practices, and urbanisation, which predominantly occurs on the highest-quality land also contribute to land degradation.

Other economic sectors, particularly energy, take priority in acquiring large areas of land, often at the expense of agricultural production. A particularly concerning trend over the past decade has been the widespread installation of energy farms on prime land for agriculture.

One proposed solution is reforestation, which can strengthen soil stability, but addressing this issue requires a comprehensive approach, as isolated measures won’t be enough.

Engagement of Youth

Youth engagement is crucial to securing the future of a strong agricultural sector. Adopting new technologies and innovation can improve farmers’ quality of life and increase efficiency making agriculture more appealing to younger generations. Despite the necessity of modernisation, farming is still perceived as demanding early mornings and hard physical labour, reinforcing the idea that success requires suffering.

A strong value chain is also necessary—from production and the integration of new technologies to fair and equitable market access. Achieving this requires proper regulatory frameworks as well as community efforts to cultivate pride in local products and regional identity.

Land management strategies must involve all relevant actors, including government officials, youth, women, and marginalised groups, all of whom have a vested interest in combating climate change and land degradation.

Moving Forward

While Bosnia and Herzegovina has successful examples of land degradation neutrality efforts, more aggressive action is needed to address the broader challenges.

The priorities should include harmonising land regulations across both entities and Brčko District, followed by the adoption of unified methodologies and the creation of reliable collection, storage and analysis capabilities. Only through an approach that ensures a uniform framework across all administrative units in Bosnia and Herzegovina can the issue of land protection be effectively addressed.

“The same problems arise in both the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. In this regard, since we face the same challenges and issues, we naturally require the same solutions, which must be implemented in a harmonized manner,” stated Svetlana Lazic, Senior Associate for Agricultural Land Protection at the Department of Agricultural Land with Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Republika Srpska. She added that she is very optimistic that “upon the completion of this workshop, guidelines and clear indicators for further activities will be established, which we must all dedicatedly work on together in the future.”

Safeguarding land resources from degradation must be a priority for all three administrative units in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was one of the key conclusions of this workshop. Other stakeholders, such as UNCCD, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and FAO, must support all activities aimed at enhancing preparedness for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and shaping future policies that will lead to sustainable land management and greater neutrality in land degradation.