Water as a wealth
WATER AS A WEALTH
A key strategic development in the World in the last decade is an approach to the development from the suitability point of view. It is inevitable response to as big as pressure on the available natural resources. If we set aside four key problems of mankind - water, food, energy and the environment - it can be seen that the solutions depend on water: the water depends on food production and consumption, and the environment is just the most sensitive to water ecosystems. Taking into account the fact that the water is a critical resource of the 21th Century, the key conclusion of the Dublin Conference was that: "Sustainability became a basic principle of all development strategies, especially in the scope of water resources development".
REPUBLIKA SRPSKA
The Republic of Srpska has sixty-three (63) municipalities which are supplied with water using 51 central municipal water systems and numbers of local community water systems, and, small village and individual water systems. Public water supply system covers about 48% of population, 52% of population relies on village water supply systems, own wells, springs and surface water springs(it has been evaluate that there is 9800 local or village water supply systems). 87% of urban inhabitants are covered.
Total numbers of inhabitants in the Republic of Srpska is 1.550.000. Out of it 741.400 (48%) of inhabitants are consumers in municipal areas 183.700 (12%) are consumers in the local communities, 624.900 (40%) use individual wells or springs. So, 925.100 inhabitants (60%) are supplied with water.
Level of connection to the sewage system is about 45% that level of the EU countries is about 75%. Also, level of the connection in the urban areas is relatively low-about 60%. More than half of the municipalities, about 60%, has a less than 50% connection to the public sewer systems. About 19% of the municipality has no regulated wastewater collection.
PROJECT WATER AND SANITATION REPUBLIKA SRPSKA
Agreement signed for financing no. 25,741 between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Srpska and the European Investment Bank, the Republic of Srpska, provides the implementation of projects of water supply and sewerage infrastructure in municipalities that have expressed interest in participating in the project by completing the questionnaire of the EIB.
Financing Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Srpska and the European Investment Bank, signed on 22.09.2010. Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 11th regular session held on 24 August 2011. Adopted a Decision on the Ratification of the Agreement on financing between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Srpska and European Investment Bank ("Official Gazette BiH" International Treaties 6/11)
The total of the Project amount is 100 million EUR:
- Loan, amounting up to 50 million euros,
- Local contribution 15.0 million,
- Bilateral funding 15.0 million,
- EU funding 20.0 million
The total of the agreement amounts to 100 million euros, the Republic of Srpska intense, through the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, to carry out this project, which consists of investment projects (sub-projects) that will be implemented in the municipalities in the territory of the Republic of Srpska.
Project financing under the Agreement provided the warranty agreement dated 29.08.2007. Between the EU and the EIB under Article 8 Council Decision 2006/1016/EC of 19.12.2006.
As stated in the Fund Agreement it is planned that credit funds for the project activities implementation follow grant funds of EU and bilateral ones.
The general objectives of the establishment of the credit facility are focused on support to improve the living conditions of the existing population, the provision of adequate sanitation relating to water supply and wastewater disposal, and implementation of environmental protection measures in accordance with the commitments in the accession to EU and compliance with the EU legislation, in this case with the Water Framework Directive, the Directive on Drinking Water and the Urban Waste Water Directive.
Purpose of the Project is to provide measures implementation by funding, that contribute to the improvement of infrastructure and service delivery that ensures adequate (quality and quantity) of water supply and wastewater disposal and their treatment in the municipalities involved in the Project.
The goal of this project is to strengthen the municipal operators of utilities, construction of the necessary facilities and the establishment of adequate infrastructure water sector, develop a sustainable water supply and wastewater services in the territory of Republika Srpska. It is planned that the project implementation is carried out in the period from 2011 to 2015, period of availability of the EIB loan and therefore the project can be extended in agreement with the EIB.
