ADVOCACY COALLITIONS AS AGENTS OF CHANGE IN CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY MAKING – A CASE STUDY OF BOSNIA- HERZEGOVINA

Abstract

UDK 502.3:551.583(497.6)
 Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2000 and Kyoto protocol in 2008. Although a Non-Annex I Party (developing country) to UNFCCC, but with its goals to EU accession, efforts have been made to set up appropriate guidelines, institutional and legal framework to meet the Convention commitments. Nevertheless, the political arena of BiH within the climate change context is still affected by the complexity of its administrative setup, lack of state level legislation, absence of coordination and inter- sectoral cooperation as well as inadequate enforcement mechanisms. Based on the social movement theory and the concept of advocacy coalition framework, the research results collected through a detailed analysis of media reports and questionnaire-based survey findings (based on the guidance of the COMPON project) explain the setbacks and describe the possibilities of social mobilization, formation of coalitions in the framing of climate change aspects as well as their influence within the wider milieu of the national policy discourse. The lack of information sharing and limited awareness among stakeholders has resulted in low social mobilization exercised around the issue, hence creating a perfect setting for a delay on progress in terms of clear climate change policies, adaptation and mitigation programs along with strategies for capacity building in the domain. Evermore, it keeps the domestic political institutions clinging to status quo, while current extent of activation of the society and networks to tackle the problem and have an effect on national policy processes remains fragile.