Abstract
Half of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BH) population lives in rural areas. Agricultural production is a backbone of the rural economy and generates significant economic value for the country. BH is highly vulnerable to climate change, which poses a significant development challenge given the climate-sensitivity of the agricultural sector, the share of agriculture in the total economy, the number of people employed in the sector, and the closely related socio-economic issues of food security. BH has experienced serious incidences of extreme weather events over the past two decades, causing severe economic losses. Based on available data and currently available climate projections, exposure to threats from climate change will continue to increase. The review paper presents the current state of the BH agricultural sector and the impact of potential climate change on agricultural systems. It proposes policy options to optimize opportunities and mitigate consequences of possible climate change in the agricultural sector. Development of policy and research capacity should include harmonisation and centralisation of domestic agricultural policies, carrying out a vulnerability assessment and strengthening the public and private extension systems. Further technological development should include improvements in weather and climate information systems, crop development, irrigation and water management.
Highlights
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) belongs to a group of countries considered highly vulnerable to climate change [1,2]
We have reviewed the agricultural sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the likely impacts of climate change upon it
We conclude that BH is a country rich in natural resources and biodiversity, and large parts of the country possess a favourable climate for agricultural production
Summary
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) belongs to a group of countries considered highly vulnerable to climate change [1,2]. The current state of politics in Western Balkan countries (WBC), where the public sector is mostly silent and non-transparent, and where the scientific contributions on climate change analyses are scarce, has led to limited development of activities in this field. The general objective of this review paper is to present the current state of the agricultural sector in BH and the impact of climate change on agricultural systems in BH. The second section assesses the impact of climate change to BH’s agricultural sector based on both current conditions and future predictions. We propose policy options based on the international literature to optimize opportunities and mitigate consequences of climate change in the agricultural sector, in order to increase productivity and adapt agriculture in BH to changing climate
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