LocationsWater is not a luxury: How we are building better water services in Bosnia and Herzegovina
June 9, 2025
Participating as a panelist in the session Driving Change in Water Services Delivery: Innovating Policies, Institutions, and Regulations at the 2025 Danube Water Conference in Vienna was more than just a professional engagement for me. It was an opportunity to share, together with colleagues from across the region and beyond, a positive story from Bosnia and Herzegovina about how, despite numerous challenges, local communities can work effectively to strengthen the water services sector and build fairer and more sustainable systems.
The conference brought together experts, decision-makers and representatives of water utilities from across the Danube region to exchange experiences and solutions in light of the new EU directives on drinking water and wastewater treatment. Discussions focused on how policies, institutions and regulations can better support the availability, sustainability and affordability of water services.
As the manager of the Municipal Environmental Governance Project (MEG 2), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), I witness every day how complex the water sector reform process in Bosnia and Herzegovina is, but also how much progress is possible when knowledge, commitment and collaboration come together. Water is a basic resource, but it is also a reflection of our society, because when water services are neglected, it directly affects the health and quality of life in our communities. That is why one of the key missions of the MEG 2 project, supported by the Government of Switzerland, Sweden, the Government of the Czech Republic and the European Union, is to improve the quality of water service delivery.
Goran Štefatić
Through ongoing work with partner municipalities and utility companies, I see how difficult it is to maintain quality services with limited resources. That is why MEG 2 provides concrete support. We help local communities plan their investments and activities, monitor progress and make better decisions. We work together on operational and financial planning, introduce performance indicators and support them in establishing systematic management of services that have often been neglected.
However, technical assistance alone is not enough. If we want real change, we must look at the bigger picture and be ready to transform. Together with institutional partners, we are advocating for the establishment of a unified and sustainable water management system, with common standards and clear rules. We work with entity ministries, associations, agencies, municipalities and utilities to develop laws that will truly benefit the people.
I am proud that the MEG 2 project, as part of UNDP’s broader engagement in the water sector, actively contributed to the development of water services laws in both the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. These laws are expected to connect practices, mandates and standards in the water services sector for the first time, because we want utility companies to better serve citizens by providing them with higher quality services and clearly defined rights.
Goran Štefatić
I am especially pleased that MEG 2 brings together young professionals from across the country. Their energy and expertise are bringing new momentum to the sector while also building a generation of future leaders in public services.
Reforms and changes do not happen overnight. They require time, trust and collective effort. But when I see how communities are progressing, how young people are getting involved and how institutions are recognizing the value of working together, I know we are moving in the right direction. For me personally, this is both a motivation and a responsibility to push even further.
Water is not a luxury. It is a fundamental human right that everyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina must have access to.