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Organization	Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)
Region	Bosnia and Herzegovina
Website	Website
Facebook	Facebook
Twitter	@Twitter
ProjectLeader	Christopher MARTIUS

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Coal is the main energy source in Bosnia but pollutes the air and heats the climate. Coal miners in the country are now starting to plant fast-growing willow trees for biomass for energy, heat and new green jobs. This restores the degraded land and reduces greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Last year the miners successfully planted 30,000 trees - in 2022 they want to plant eight times more. They need your help to buy planting material and set up a tree nursery.

Challenge

Last spring, Izet Causevic and his colleagues - some disabled from the hard mine work or the war- at a coal mine in Kreka, Tuzla Canton, were about to be let go. But they didn't give up. Over 2021, they successfully planted willow shrubs on two sites on the mine. The plants are thriving. The miners have learned fast how to tend to them. They want to plant 225,000 new plants this spring. They have land, equipment, and assistance from CIFOR, but need help to buy 'cuttings' - the planting material.

Long-Term Impact

Fifteen new hectares of willow plantations is the intended next goal for the miners from Kreka. They plan in steps. Their end goal is to have seventy thousand hectares of energy willow in 2030 across the country - this would replace enough coal to provide 15% of Bosnia and Herzegovina's power needs from sustainable plantations. At the same time, it creates a few thousand new green jobs. Later, these plantations will be surrounded with other trees which will produce nuts, fruits and honey.