Biomass as Potential Sustainable Development Driver – Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) is a country in southeastern Europe, on the western part of the Balkan Peninsula. B&H covers a total area of 51.129 km2 and it is almost landlocked, except for 26 km of Adriatic Sea coastline. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a transition country in the process of European integrations. The result of the privatization and the war situation in nineties is devastated economy which has to find a new ways for the further development. One of the results of transition process is also that major part of the industry are small and medium enterprises (SME) and that also has to be taken into consideration, because development strategies and plans has to be adapted according to this fact. This paper gives the analysis of the potential connections between renewable energy sources (RES), particularly biomass and sustainable development of the B&H’s economy, taking into consideration specific political structure of the state. Problem if the sustainable development and integration of RES in that is universal, and some of the analyzed issues and findings from this material can be interested not only for the people tries to establish some activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also for the people dealing with bioenergy generally. Bosnia and Herzegovina is consists from two entities: Republic of Srpska (RS), Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), and third administrative unit, Brcko District (BD). Energy sector, forestry, environmental and climate changes related issues are unider their jurisdiction.