The flash floods and landslides in Bosnia and Herzegovina have led to a devastating loss of at least 21 lives, with dozens injured and many still missing. The torrential rain that began on October 3 caused widespread destruction in towns like Jablanica and Konjic, where entire homes were swept away. Rescue operations were hindered by ongoing heavy rains, but have since resumed with international assistance arriving to aid local teams. Officials have declared it the worst flooding disaster in a decade, surpassing the 2014 floods.
The sudden deluge caught residents by surprise, many of whom were sleeping when the landslides struck. Aerial footage showed vast areas submerged, with infrastructure like roads and bridges completely destroyed. Rescue teams continue to search for those trapped under debris as the death toll rises. The collapse of a hill near a quarry, triggered by heavy rainfall, added to the destruction, burying homes and leaving entire villages cut off from aid.
This natural disaster comes after a summer of extreme drought and record-high temperatures in the Balkans, exacerbating the region’s vulnerability to such catastrophic weather events. Scientists point to climate change as a contributing factor, with dried-out land unable to absorb the floodwaters. Bosnia’s already fragile political and economic situation adds to the challenge of responding to such large-scale destruction.
The floods have forced Bosnia’s Central Election Commission to postpone local elections in the worst-affected areas, but voting proceeded in other regions. Neighboring countries like Croatia and Montenegro also reported heavy rainfall but were spared the worst of the destruction, suffering less severe damage and no reported fatalities.
As recovery efforts continue, Bosnia’s vulnerability to hydro-meteorological disasters is once again under the spotlight. Despite contributing a minimal share to global emissions, the country remains one of the most climate-vulnerable in Europe. The recent disaster underscores the need for more robust infrastructure and improved disaster preparedness in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.
