The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a €46 million (approximately US$54 million) loan to support improvements in solid waste management in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The funding will support the Sustainable Waste Management Project, which aims to help communities benefit from cleaner surroundings and a healthier environment by modernizing waste management systems across the country.
The project will focus on closing and rehabilitating unsafe dumpsites, upgrading regional sanitary landfills, and expanding systems for waste separation, recycling, composting, and resource recovery. These improvements are expected to enable the safe disposal of more than 420,000 metric tons of municipal solid waste each year while increasing recycling and recovery rates to about 20 percent. As a result, waste management services will improve for more than one million people across participating communities.
In addition to infrastructure investments, the project will strengthen the institutional capacity of municipalities, cantonal authorities, and public utility companies responsible for waste services. Support will include improvements in operational performance, financial management, and long-term sustainability of waste management systems. The initiative is also expected to create more than 100 jobs in waste management and related services.
The project aligns with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Environmental Strategy and Action Plan for 2022–2032, as well as the country’s climate commitments and its progress toward meeting European Union environmental standards. It also contributes to the Western Balkans Green Agenda by promoting circular economy practices and climate-resilient infrastructure. In addition to the World Bank loan, the initiative will receive a $1.56 million grant from the Global Partnership for Results-Based Approaches Trust Fund to support project implementation.
