The Hydro-energy Potential in Bosnia and Necessity for SIA Researches: A Comparative Study with Turkey

The Hydro-energy Potential in Bosnia and Necessity for SIA Researches: A Comparative Study with Turkey

DIRIM ÖZKAN, Özgür

Energy sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the few which has got a prospect for a potential of economic development in the country. Currently, electricity is one of the items for export in the country which can be regarded as a strategic sector regarding the country’s tiny economic structure. Almost half of the electricity is produced by hydroelectric power plants (HEPP). Currently total renewable water resources per capita in Bosnia are almost 9000 cubic meters, which means the highest in Europe. Since country’s topography is dominated by Dinaric Alps, it generates an advantage for hydroelectric potential. However, Bosnia and Herzegovina is using only 38% of country’s hydroelectric potential and both government bodies and economists agree that investing in HEPPs would one of the prescriptions for country’s poor economical situation while the energy-lacking countries in the region are ready-customers. Federal Ministry of Energy, Mining and Industry of Bosnia and Herzegovina projects that an investment of 5963 million Euros is required to construct new HEPPs. The projects are envisioned not only to make a considerable surplus to GDP of the country, but also would boom the economy of the country which has a population of 4 million inhabitants. On the other side, recently various outcomes of HEPP’s are being widely discussed referring to political, environmental and social and cultural impacts of the projects, not only by NGO’s, environmental activists and such, but also by national governments, international organizations and by international finance institutions who give credit for large scale development projects. In this respect, not only EIAs (Environmental Impact Assessments) but also SIAs (Social Impact Assessments) are required for “correct” projects.This paper will discuss the necessity for SIAs in B&H for HEPPs looking from the point of view that the country has a fragile and fragmented political and social/cultural system. Relying on the experience on different SIA projects in Turkey (namely; Pervari HEPP, İncir HEPP, Tirebolu HEPP, Simav JEPP, Kargı HEPP) the paper will try to make a comparative analysis and figure out the dynamics and obstacles for SIAs in B&H. Keywords: Social Impact Assessment, Hydro-energy, Anthropology, Bosnia.

Article
PeerReviewed

ISSN 2303-4564

International Burch University

2014-04-24

2475