Natural Disasters as Detonators of Sociopolitical Change: Bosnia-Herzegovina 2014-2020
Natural Disasters as Detonators of Sociopolitical Change: Bosnia-Herzegovina 2014-2020

Author(s): Nedžad Korajlić, Amer Smailbegović
Subject(s): Politics, Governance, Security and defense, Welfare systems, Health and medicine and law, Environmental interactions, Present Times (2010 - today)
Published by: Mednarodni inštitut za bližnjevzhodne in balkanske študije IFIMES
Keywords: Bosnia-Herzegovina; Pandemic; Crisis communication; Civil Defense; Yugoslavian General National Defense and Communal Self-Protection Concept; Western Balkans cooperation;
Summary/Abstract: The report ifs briefly summarizing the potential of natural disaster to initiate a required social and political change in a divided society, when other methods of integration and resolution have proven ineffective. By comparing the Balkan floods of 2014 with the current COVID-19 pandemic, it is possible to observe certain changes in the posture of the former-Yugoslavian countries and their collaboration by using the last vestiges of once-robust civil-defense (and general national defense / protection) of the former Yugoslavia. The current response is adequate, but the lengthy period of stagnation, decentralization and unresolved issues stemming from the Yugoslav conflict have left considerable present-day challenges. Similarly there were missed opportunities for improving collaboration and crisis management in the aftermath of the 2014 flooding event. The current crisis presents new management opportunities to overcome the problems and evolve the legacy solutions in the time of crisis. The reader is cautioned that this is an evolving situation, and some of the events described within, are bound to change rapidly, hence this communiqué should be considered as a snapshot in time during the pandemic-response in the Western Balkans in the second half of March, 2020.

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