Drought Triggers Water Restrictions Across Bosnia and Herzegovina
Prolonged dry spell and high temperatures have left numerous cities facing a dramatic drop in water reserves, prompting authorities to urge maximum conservation.
Prolonged dry spell and high temperatures have left numerous cities facing a dramatic drop in water reserves, prompting authorities to urge maximum conservation.
A prolonged drought and high temperatures that have been gripping Bosnia and Herzegovina for weeks have led to serious water supply issues. Numerous cities and municipalities across the country have been forced to introduce water consumption restrictions and call on citizens to conserve, with the situation being particularly alarming in Herzegovina, where temperatures have been highest in recent weeks, as reported by HRT on August 7, 2026.
The Mostar water utility has appealed to residents to use water only for essential needs. In several suburban settlements, the situation is so severe that temporary supply suspensions are already in effect. The situation is even more dramatic in Široki Brijeg, where reserves at the key Borak spring have drastically decreased. The utility warns that if residents do not urgently reduce consumption, they will be forced to intermittently cut off water supply.
Similar warnings have come from Posušje and Tomislavgrad. In Tomislavgrad, authorities have gone a step further and issued an explicit ban on using water from the public supply for watering gardens, orchards, and lawns, filling pools, as well as washing vehicles, streets, and yards.
Water supply issues have not spared other parts of the country either. In parts of Konjic and the Cazin area in western Bosnia, nighttime water supply shutoffs are already in place, a direct consequence of reduced spring flow and increased consumption. Appeals for rational use have been issued to residents of Bihać, Prijedor, Travnik, Laktaši, and Zvornik.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management of Republika Srpska has addressed citizens, farmers, and businesses, urging rational water use. They warned that the persistent lack of precipitation directly impacts the reduced yield of springs, lower river levels, and reservoir levels. Water supply is also restricted in certain settlements in Banja Luka.
Utility companies warn that if the dry spell continues, restrictions could spread to other parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina that are currently unaffected by these measures.
