Post-flood damage assessment mission in Jablanica, Konjic, Kreševo, Kiseljak, and Fojnica

Bosnia and Herzegovina

On 3 and 4 October 2024, central and southern Bosnia and Herzegovina experienced flooding reported to be worse than the infamous 2014 floods. Dozens of towns and villages suffered catastrophic damage, killing 27 people. Damaged bridges, railways, and landslides left some villages blocked off. Cultural heritage was damaged across the five worst affected municipalities (Jablanica, Konjic, Kreševo, Kiseljak, and Fojnica), but little of it could be assessed. The Federal Institution for the Protection of National Monuments could only act on sites already declared to be of national importance, but staffing shortages and bureaucratic delays held up even those missions. Additionally, 20-30 unregistered sites of cantonal/municipal significance fell outside this mandate entirely.

With a CER grant of €9,450 covering travel, subsistence, and special vehicle rentals, CHwB BiH sent two teams of assessors into the region for 20 days. Documentation protocols were agreed in advance with relevant local authorities and surveys were carried out using CHwB’s own equipment including drones, laser measuring devices, and cameras. Local Mountain Search and Rescue NGOs partnered to help with accessing the sites, and reaching the most remote areas was reserved until early spring to ensure team safety.

The damage assessment is being used to plan appropriate first aid interventions where needed, providing an archival baseline for future heritage protection efforts.