Devastating Floods and Landslides in Bosnia: A Climate Wake-Up Call

Flash floods and landslides in Bosnia have claimed 13 lives and injured many, sparking major rescue operations. These events have led to the postponement of local elections in affected areas, highlighting the region's vulnerability to climate change-related disasters despite low greenhouse gas emissions.

In a tragic turn of events, flash floods and landslides across Bosnia and Herzegovina have claimed the lives of 13 individuals, leaving scores injured, as reported by Al Jazeera on Saturday. The sudden deluge led rescue teams on a frantic search through the debris for survivors.

The government spokesperson for the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, Darko Juka, confirmed on Saturday that the fatalities occurred in the Jablanica region due to a hill collapse, triggered by landslides and floods. Torrential rains overnight briefly halted the rescue operations, which resumed the following day, Bosnian media sources reported.

Aerial footage revealed extensive flooding in residential zones, catching residents off guard and preventing timely evacuation. Al Jazeera reported that the landslide was a result of intense rain, loosening stone and rubble from a nearby quarry.

The devastating floods have had widespread impacts, leading Bosnia's Central Election Commission to postpone local elections in the affected municipalities, but proceed elsewhere. The Balkans have faced extreme weather this summer, including record high temperatures and drought, which experts believe reduced the land's capacity to absorb floodwaters.

According to the World Bank Group's Climate Change Knowledge Portal, floods have comprised over 60% of Bosnia's climate-related disasters since the 1980s, underscoring the nation's susceptibility to extreme hydro meteorological events. These storms have caused destruction of farmland, homes, and industrial sites, further altering the environment.

This serves as a stark reminder of Bosnia's climate vulnerability; despite contributing only 0.05% of global greenhouse gases, the UNDP classifies it among the top 40 nations most threatened by climate change. Similar flooding occurred in Croatia and Montenegro this week but with less severity and no reported casualties, as per ANI.

(With inputs from agencies.)