1143 | 80 | Geopolitical and ethnic biases in foreign aid? A case study of the subnational geography of foreign aid from post-communist donors in Bosnia and Herzegovina. | Zdeněk Opršal, Tereza Nováková

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a post-conflict country with a complex political and ethnic structure. Since the end of the Bosnian war in 1995, it has been a recipient of foreign aid. The post-communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe (the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia) have long been actively involved as aid donors to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) due to their geographical proximity and historical-cultural ties. The provision of foreign aid can have a range of motivations, from humanitarian to geopolitical. Based on analyses of the spatial distribution of aid within Bosnia and Herzegovina, our research examines various factors influencing the allocation of aid at subnational – i.e. local and municipal level. Statistical analyses have revealed significant biases in the provision of foreign aid based on the (dis)preference of certain ethnic groups and political entities within Bosnia and Herzegovina by CEE donors. These preferences often vary considerably among CEE donors, reflecting the different (geo)political motivations for their aid. However, the regionally uneven or biased distribution of aid in favour of one of the entities is not only contrary to the principles of good donorship, but can also exacerbate regional disparities and become an obstacle to reconciliation. There are two barriers to addressing the uncoordinated and unequal allocations of foreign aid within Bosnia and Herzegovina. Donors’ cooperation in the distribution of development funds within BiH is limited by their individual self-interests while BiH’s overly complex and fragmented governmental and administrative structure is an obstacle to effective coordination of donor activities by BiH authorities. En términos de ecología del fuego y de gestión forestal, la resistencia a los grandes incendios forestales se refiere a la capacidad para modificar el comportamiento del fuego mediante el uso de técnicas de intervención forestal en áreas estratégicas. También implica la planificación de grandes superficies con coherencia forestal para reducir el número de grandes incendios y evitar pérdidas económicas y ecológicas. Además, la resistencia social está vinculada a procesos de aprendizaje colectivo para generar espacios donde sea posible el empoderamiento y la generación de un discurso compartido sobre los incendios

. En definitiva, esto implica la creación de estructuras socioterritoriales organizadas para afrontar los grandes incendios forestales, más allá de las relacionadas con la gestión de la emergencia. Se pretende analizar a través de las asociaciones de propietarios forestales como se conectan estructuras ecológicas y estructuras sociales para conseguir formas de vida y asentamientos vinculados con el territorio, la mutua interacción y el beneficio entre especies humanas y no humanas. El objetivo final es prevenir y, en caso de que no sea posible, reducir el impacto de los grandes incendios, reconociendo que es imposible eliminar el fuego del ecosistema.

Zdeněk Opršal, Tereza Nováková
Department of Development and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic

 
ID Abstract: 80