Bosnia: Emergency Declared After Floods, Landslides Kill 21

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Above: People look at a car running along a flooded street on Oct. 4, 2024 in Kiseljak, about twenty kilometers west of Sarajevo. Image copyright: ELVIS BARUKCIC/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images

The Facts

  • Torrential rain in Bosnia and Herzegovina has caused severe flooding and landslides, resulting in at least 21 deaths in the central and southern regions of the country.

  • Some areas in the municipality of Jablanica, located approximately 43 miles southwest of Sarajevo, have been completely cut off due to the destruction of road and railway links.

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The Spin

Narrative A

This is the worst flooding Bosnia has seen since at least 2014, with the scale of destruction comparable to the aftermath of the 1992-1995 war. The situation is disastrous, and the search for missing persons is the top priority. The government has rightly declared a state of natural disaster and is allocating funds for recovery efforts.

Arab News

Narrative B

While the immediate focus is on rescue operations, the long-term implications of climate change can't be ignored. The recent drought dried out the land, hampering its ability to absorb floodwaters. Human-caused climate change increases rainfall intensity as warm air holds more moisture, leading to more extreme weather events.

Metaculus Prediction