Flood mitigation equipment donated to the Civil Protection of the Una-Sana Canton
Representatives of the United Nations Development Programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNDP BiH) handed over to the Civil Protection of the Una-Sana Canton in Bihać today valuable equipment for flood mitigation, which includes five power generators and three mud pumps.
The donation followed a request for urgent support from the Cantonal Administration of Civil Protection, due to their inability to respond to citizens' requests for assistance in repairing damage from recent floods, caused by heavy rainfall in the area of the Una-Sana Canton. The most affected were Bihać, Bosanska Krupa and Sanski Most, where numerous settlements and buildings were flooded, as a result of which a state of natural disaster was declared in these cities.
In order to support these local communities in crisis situations and strengthen their capacity to provide an adequate and timely response to such emergencies, UNDP financed and procured this equipment from its engagement funds, the total value of which is 6,790 USD.
This donation means a lot, not only to the Cantonal Administration, but also to the local communities of our Canton, and it will be sent to them in order to help private and legal entities. The Cantonal Administration owns a certain number of pumps and generators, but this is insufficient in case of natural disasters. Strengthening the capacity of the Cantonal Administration of Civil Protection will surely help local communities in eliminating the consequences of natural disasters.Stated the Director of the Civil Protection Administration of the Una-Sana Canton, Dževad Livaković, and thanked UNDP for the quick response and concrete assistance.
"UNDP, as part of the United Nations Team, is continuously working to provide support to communities in such emergency situations, i.e. providing support where and when it is needed. The recent floods remind us of the importance of continuous work on strengthening measures to prevent and reduce the consequences of natural disasters, and UNDP is dedicated to work on this with domestic and international partners in BiH", said Goran Vukmir, Head of the UNDP Banja Luka Office.
"From the moment the floods hit the area of the Una-Sana Canton, we have been in contact and coordination with the Cantonal Civil Protection Administration as well as other agencies and partners. The equipment donated today will help families and companies in the area of the Una-Sana Canton to repair their houses and facilities as soon as possible, and create normal living and working conditions, and will be used in the future to reduce the consequences", said Damir Muslić, Acting Head of the UNDP's Bihać Regional Office.
Natural disasters such as floods can cause great material, human and economic losses. In order to reduce the devastating consequences of floods, good preparation and timely response of the local community is crucial. During the previous years, in cooperation with domestic and international partners, UNDP provided extensive support to the authorities in BiH at all levels in improving flood prevention preparedness. In addition, for many years, UNDP provided significant support to local communities across the country in flood recovery, especially after the devastating floods that hit BiH in the spring of 2014.