Challenges Facing Flood Resilience in a Former War Zone – Balkan Floods, May 2014

In mid-May 2014, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia faced severe flooding, in some places the worst in 120 years. The floods killed approximately 80 people and affected the lives of nearly three million others. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies, a member of our flood resilience alliance, provided food, water, clothes, infant supplies, and other necessary items as well as emergency and reconstruction assistance to those in need. The IFRC worked along with many other organizations.

Armed conflicts in this region during the 1990s also left a tragic legacy that has further reduced these countries’ capacity to cope with, and recover from flooding. The floods dislodged land mines, rendering previous information about the location of these mines inaccurate. Recovery efforts have been slow, difficult and dangerous. Post-conflict investments in flood early-warning systems and in physical flood protection, such as levees, fell short of what would have been required to mitigate losses.

A Zurich flood resilience program case study Flood resilience review 05.15, Zurich Insurance Company 2014