The Central Bosnia Canton Disaster Risk Reduction Platform is established as municipalities join MCR2030

Following a string of extreme weather events in the 2010s, representatives from the Central Bosnia Canton recognized an urgent need to invest in prevention measures and build resilience in the region.

After ramping up climate change adaptation measures, increasing capacity building and engaging local communities, the Canton joined the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative in March 2021, aiming to share their experiences and learn more about tools and mechanisms to help the region better address disaster risk.

In 2022, following a year of collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) under the umbrella of the 2021-2025 United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for BiH endorsed by the BiH Council of Ministers in December 2020, and advocacy efforts from Ms. Zenada Causevic, Head of the Operations Center of Civil Protection Administration of Central Bosnia Canton, four of the Canton municipalities – Travnik, Kiseljak, Busovača and Vitez – joined the initiative. The region wants more municipalities to join – and continues to build resilience through the newly-established Central Bosnia Canton Disaster Risk Reduction Platform. The implementation of the MCR2030 initiative in Bosnia and Herzegovina is financially supported by USAID.

The Central Bosnia Canton's path to resilience-building

A multi-sectoral forum bringing together a range of stakeholders, the Platform aims to improve coordination and implementation of disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities. The Central Bosnia Canton parliament assembly appointed 17 Platform representatives from all relevant ministries and organizations at the Cantonal level, ensuring cross-sectoral representation and cooperation.

Supported by its Cantonal government, the Central Bosnia Canton Disaster Risk Reduction Platform is intended to be a permanent consultative body, providing a community space to identify and launch DRR activities, raise awareness of community risk drivers, and support resilience initiatives, as well as to integrate DRR into local strategic and financial frameworks.

Supported by the UNDRR Europe and Central Asia Office (UNDRR ROECA), the Cantonal DRR Platform held its first meeting on 5 April 2022, in which the Civil Protection Department introduced participants to regional plans, opportunities for collaboration and more technical resilience projects.

Looking ahead, the Platform is keen to help other Central Bosnia Canton municipalities to join MCR2030 and to work on further capacity building and knowledge exchanges, as it continues to build resilience in the region. 

UNDRR ROECA has fully committed to this agenda, and looks to also step up efforts to increase the resilience of SMEs in the country, following a survey conducted with over 200 SMEs, examining the types of risk they face, what they key bottlenecks are in investing in resilience, and what type of support would be needed to reduce disaster risk.

“The Central Bosnia Canton DRR platform is an excellent example of multi-city and regional coordination. It is an inspiring risk governance initiative that we are keen to share with other regional governments looking for best practice in resilience building.”

Mr. Octavian Bivol, UNDRR ROECA Chief

“This platform is very useful for the Cantonal Civil Protection Administration of Central Bosnia Canton, as well as for the protection and resilience of the entire region. When we can detect all possible disasters at a cantonal level, we can then plan and enact preventative measures. It will be easier and clearer for all ministries and organizations participating in the platform how to behave and prevent possible damages resulting from various disasters. It is also very good that this body is permanent and that we can achieve a lot by working together.”

Mr. Miroslav Jakić, Director of Cantonal administration of Civil protection, Central Bosnia Canton

“I am very pleased to be part of this platform – we are already dealing with disaster risk reduction, but this is a unique opportunity to unify even more and react in a timely manner to emergencies. Within its capacity, the Cantonal Institute of Public Health will always be available for cooperation, including on microbiological analysis of water, chemical analysis of hazards after disasters such as floods, earthquakes, etc. With this platform, I believe that we will be even richer and be able to respond even better – both preventively and in response to various crisis situations.”

Mr. Zudi Osmani, Head of Service for Protection and Improvement of The Environment, Institute of Public Health of Central Bosnia Canton