Flash floods and landslides have ravaged central Bosnia-Herzegovina, leaving at least 18 dead and many missing. Entire villages have been isolated, with homes submerged and roads, railways, and bridges washed away. The hardest-hit areas include Jablanica, where a landslide left a section of railway track hanging. Rivers overflowed after a severe storm, flooding towns and leaving many residents in peril. Neighboring Montenegro and Croatia are also grappling with rising waters, as extreme weather exacerbated by climate change continues to wreak havoc across Central Europe.
The floods have raised concerns about the increasing frequency of such disasters due to global warming. The World Weather Attribution (WWA) group reports that a recent four-day rainfall was the heaviest ever recorded in the region, a clear signal of the escalating effects of climate change on the fastest-warming continent, Europe.
Response and Recovery Efforts
Authorities have declared a state of emergency, mobilizing rescue operations and urging caution as roads remain hazardous. Development Minister Vojin Mijatovic has called for calm, acknowledging the scale of the tragedy while efforts to restore essential infrastructure are underway. As Europe continues to warm, experts predict further extreme weather events, putting vulnerable communities like those in Bosnia-Herzegovina at heightened risk.
