Den primära målsättningen med insatsen är att utveckla miljöstrategin och åtgärdsplanerna för Bosnien och Hercegovina (BiH ESAP) för perioden 2030+. Dokumentet kommer att vara vägledande i första hand för miljöstrategin och åtgärdsplanerna för FBiH, RS och BD, men även åtgärder som behöver bli implementerade på statlig nivå (till exempel: horisontella frågor och uppföljningen av BiH ESAP). BiH ESAP kommer att vara en strategi som identifierar nedifrån upp delade strategiska miljömål och principer för BiH, dessutom tematiska målsättningar och genomförbara åtgärder samt aktiviteter från alla tre administrativa nivåer justerade för undergrupperna av EU:s miljöavsnitt (acquis). BiH ESAP kommer att inkludera uppskattningar av kostnader av de föreslagna åtgärderna och aktiviteterna för att nå strategiska mål på BiH, entitets- och distriktsnivå, vilket kommer att vägleda prioriteringarna för inhemska och internationella investeringar. Detta strategidokument kommer således att tillhandahålla ett långsiktigt planeringsramverk, vilket möjliggör för de lämpligaste åtgärderna att vara enhetligare i hela landet, underlätta övervakande och rapportering av de bestämda målen samt dessutom övervaka framstegen av EU-närmandet. Den förväntade långsiktiga effekten av projektet är att förbättra miljösituationen i BiH och samtidigt göra framsteg i processen för EU-närmandet. Följaktligen kommer projektet att bidra till att förbättra landets motståndskraft mot naturkatastrofer. Implementeringspartnern Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) kommer att ha fullt ansvar för det övergripande utförandet av avtalet, ekonomi och utgifter. SEI rapporterar direkt till ambassaden/Sida. I projektets inledande fas (inception period) ska SEI ingå avtal och genomföra upphandlingar av tjänster som lokala organisationer och lokala/internationella konsulter erhåller vilka i sin tur kommer att ansvara för åtgärder inom respektive projekts delar. SEI är ett oberoende, internationellt forskningsinstitut som har varit aktiva inom miljö- och utvecklingsfrågor på lokala, nationella, regionala- och globala policynivåer i mer än 25 år. SEI har en gedigen bakgrund i samarbetande och interagerande med sina fyra grupper av mottagare, akademiker, beslutsfattare inom staten, media och icke-statliga organisationer. SEI har omfattande erfarenheter av att stödja offentlig sektor från kommuner till internationell nivå med utveckling och implementering av miljö- och hållbarhetspolicyers. SEI:s arbetsgrupp för detta projekt besitter stora färdigheter och erfarenhet inom ämnena miljöpolicy, samspelet mellan olika policyers och koherens, hållbarhet kopplat till utvecklingsmål, politisk ekonomi, samarbete inom gränsöverskridande resurshantering och klimatförändring.

The main objective of the intervention is developing the Environmental Strategy and Action Plans for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH ESAP) for period 2030+. The document will encompass primarily the environmental strategies and action plans for the FBiH, RS and BD, but also actions needed to be implemented at BiH level (e.g. horizontal issues and follow-up of BiH ESAP). The BiH ESAP will be a strategy that will identify in a bottom-up way shared strategic environmental goals and principles for BiH, as well as thematic goals and targets, and feasible measures and activities from all three administrative levels aligned to the sub-themes of the EU environmental acquis. The BiH ESAP will include cost estimates of proposed measures and activities to reach the strategic goals at BiH, entity, and district levels, which will guide prioritisation of domestic and international investments. This strategic document will thus provide a long-term planning framework, allowing for best practices and actions to be more consistent across the country, facilitate monitoring and reporting of the set goals and targets, as well as to monitor progress of the EU approximation process. The expected long-term impacts of this Project is to improve the state of the environment in BiH and progress in the process of BiH approximation to the EU. Consequently, project will contribute to improving country’s resilience to natural disasters. The implementing partner, the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) will have full responsibility for overall contract performance, finances and expenditure, and reports directly to the Embassy/Sida. In the immediate project phase SEI is to carry out agreements and procurements of services provided by local organizations and local/international consultants that will be responsible for activities in each project component. SEI is an independent, international research institute that has been engaged in environmental and development issues at local, national, regional and global policy levels for more than 25 years. SEI has a strong background in collaborating and interacting with its four core audiences, i.e. academia, public policy decision makers, media and NGOs. SEI has extensive experience in supporting public actors from the municipal to the international level with the development and implementation of their environment and sustainable development policies. The SEI team assigned for this project has extensive skills and experience in the topics of environmental policy, policy interactions and coherence, sustainable development goals, political economy, as well as cooperation on transboundary resources management and climate change.

The main objective of the intervention is the BiH ESAP 2030, which encompasses primarily the environmental strategies and action plans for the FBiH, RS and BD, but also actions needed to be implemented at BiH level (e.g. horizontal issues and follow-up of BiH ESAP). The BiH ESAP will be a strategy that will identify in a bottom-up way shared strategic environmental goals and principles for BiH, as well as thematic goals and targets, and feasible measures and activities from all three administrative levels aligned to the sub-themes of the EU environmental acquis. The BiH ESAP will include cost estimates of proposed measures and activities to reach the strategic goals at BiH, entity, and district levels, which will guide prioritisation of domestic and international investments. This strategic document will thus provide a long-term planning framework, allowing for best practices and actions to be more consistent across the country, facilitate monitoring and reporting of the set goals and targets, as well as to monitor progress of the EU approximation process. The BiH ESAP development elaboration process is designed to maintain coherence across different jurisdictions, so that environmental activities and measures at different administrative levels are tightly aligned with each other, creating synergies towards achieving the agreed objectives, which will help BiH to meet its international commitments. Additional outputs of the Project include the Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) reports of the two entity- and the district-level ESAPs. In addition to the public hearings organised in the SEA process, additional public fora will be held to ensure wider public participation in the process. Diverse and tailored communication activities and outputs will be produced too. The main outcomes of this project are:1) Environmental, water and other authorities in BiH have an environmental strategic document with feasible strategic goals and thematic objectives, measures and actions that are clearly defined, agreed and adopted, to steer policy measures and domestic and international financing that will result in a better state of the environment in the country, and to further alignment of the countrys legal and institutional framework with the EU environmental acquis; including:a. A situation analysis on the current state of environment in BiHb. Proposed structure for the implementation of BiH ESAP2) The capacities of environmental organizations, institutions and networks are enhanced, for instance in terms of thematic expertise and knowledge of the EU environmental acquis and best practices; and 3) The general public, the business sector and civil society are more aware and responsible for the environment. The expected long-term impacts of this Project is to improve the state of the environment in BiH and progress in the process of BiH approximation to the EU. A well-structured plan with clearly measurable objectives and well-defined, relevantactivities and indicators, is presented in result matrix attached to the proposal. This willbe used as a tool for monitoring and follow up of the project during implementation   .