EBRD, EU, Sweden finance waste management project in Bosnia

A total of 180,000 citizens of Zivinice, Kladanj, Banovici and surrounding areas in the northeastern canton will benefit from the regional sanitary landfill, financed under the Western Balkans Investment Framework platform (WBIF), the EBRD said in a statement.

The EBRD is providing a 5 million euro ($5.5 million) loan towards the cost of the project, which will be on-lent to Eko-Sep, a regional waste management company established by the three municipalities, for the construction of the new facilities which will serve the biggest of ten cantons in Bosnia's Federation entity, the bank said.

In addition, the EU is providing a 374,400 euro grant under the WBIF, while the Swedish government is planning to extend a 2.5 million euro grant for the construction of the landfill body, supporting facilities and recycling yard.

"The new landfill will reduce environmental risks in the Tuzla Canton stemming from groundwater and soil contamination by developing a system which will provide for the collection and treatment of leachate, the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions and the prevention of fires," the statement said.

The project will be carried out in line with EU standards, considering that only six landfills in Bosnia currently meet them, while 16 have failed to do so, the EBRD noted.

($=0.904241 euro)