BOSNIA: Staring across one of Bosnia’s largest stretches of water, all Saliha Kaljanin can see are boats left high and dry after months of drought drained Lake Jablaniko. .
“The climate has definitely changed, but it’s scary!” 68-year-old Kaljanin said AFP Near the receding shores of the lake in southern Bosnia.
For years, the village of Ostrozak, where Kuljanin lives, has benefited from tourists drawn to the emerald waters of Jablaniko.
But this year the rains have dried up and its water level has fallen.
Every year as summer ends, the 30 km (18 mi) long lake is slowly drained to absorb autumn rains.
“It’s level varies a little bit – it goes down and up. But now, I don’t know what’s going on,” Koljanian said, pointing to boats beached away from the remaining water in the area.
Bosnia may be one of the poorest countries in Europe, but it has long been rich in one resource: water.
The World Bank estimates that Bosnia’s renewable fresh water resources are about 10 cubic meters (350 cubic feet) per person per year.
Some of Europe’s oldest rivers run through the country’s rugged terrain, making it a paradise for rafters, kayakers and other outdoor enthusiasts.
But this year’s lack of rains has changed the equation. “The drought has been really devastating,” Kaljanian said.
Further upstream, the lake has completely dried up.
The lack of water has also complicated the operation of a nearby power plant that relies on the lake’s dam for energy.
Landslides
“The year 2024 was exceptionally bad for the operation of power plants,” said Farhudin Tanovic, an executive at public power company Elektroprivreda BiH.
“There was no snow last winter, so inflows into the lake in the spring were probably the lowest they’ve been in existence.”
Thermal power plants still generate most of Bosnia’s electricity, generating 55 to 70 percent of the country’s electricity at any given time, according to the Office of Statistics.
Hydroelectric plants generate most of the remaining electricity, with only 4% coming from solar or wind.
The drought has made nearby areas more susceptible to landslides, as the soil becomes drier and looser.
In the nearby Jablanica region, at least 27 people were killed in October when sudden heavy rains flooded towns and triggered landslides.
Scientists have warned that climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent.